Big Brother Itachi
by Shimi-chan
Summary: Blood may be thicker than water...but water tastes a whole lot better. [ItachixHinataxSasuke] Rated for a later lime and some language. [[Now COMPLETE!]]
1. Prologue

Prologue:

If you had to give the whole mess a beginning, then you might go for the sleepover Sakura had thrown. Before that, Itachi had never noticed it. Hell, before that it had never existed! But Sakura decided to throw the biggest slumber party imaginable, accompanied by her arch enemy/friend Ino, and the guest list had his brother's name on it. Since their parents refused to let him go alone, Itachi had to go with.

For future reference, and questions that will arise, let's recap. The Hyuga clan has been an ally of the Uchiha clan for as long as they have both existed. Because of that, it was no wonder the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi, and the Hyuga heiress, Hinata, know each other so well. Hinata was a shy, reserved girl, and Itachi was a stoic, sometimes called cold, boy. They'd met when they were children, and though they didn't hit it off so well in the beginning, they'd eventually grown fond of each other. Hinata was still shy on him, and he tried never to give her a hint of emotion, but the way she called him Itanii-san said it all. They were tied by blood, as far as they were concerned.

But that all changed that night when Sakura had that damn party. Like previously said, Itachi had no choice but to attend. His annoying younger brother insisted they go. It was so obvious that Sasuke had a huge crush on Sakura. Well…It wasn't completely obvious, but Itachi could see it. The only reason he'd eventually resigned was because he knew his little sister would be there and it had been way too long since he'd seen her last.

The music could be heard at least two blocks before the house came into view. Crap, it was on of _those _slumber parties. Glaring at his brother icily as they walked, Itachi thought of different ways he could get out of this. He could ditch his brother, which with his superior skill wouldn't be too hard to do. Then he could pay some assassins to destroy Sasuke. And they'd have to do it tonight. Then he would take some article of clothing from Sasuke's lifeless corpse and take it to his parents and tell them that he was attacked by a wild animal. Yeah, yeah, that was a beautiful idea! Except…

Well, except for the fact that they were already at Sakura's house and Sasuke was knocking on the door. Sakura came to it with her hair tied back in a casual bun. She smiled joyously as she saw Sasuke and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. Blushing, the young Uchiha hugged her back for a while.

'_Pathetic,' _thought Itachi.

He pushed his way roughly passed the two lovebirds and into the house to see if he could get his hands on some snacks. Maybe find some way to pass the time. Upon entering the living room, he noted that his assumption had been right: it _was _one of those slumber parties. 'Those' of course meaning a party that lasted all night. Most of the girls were in the center dancing suggestively as some of the boys stood around gaping and blushing, some just uninterested. Among the guests were Neiji, Lee, Tenten, Ino, Kiba, Choji, Shino, Shikamaru, and the like. Itachi repeated his previous thought as he walked past them all to find a quiet corner to ignore everyone in. Who else should he spot but his little sister?

Smirking, he approached her. "Little sis."

She looked up from the floor and he saw that she had been blushing. Upon seeing him, her eyes widened in surprise and undeniable pleasure. "I-Itanii-san!!"

He almost smiled at her excitement, but he caught himself and instead stood next to her and patted her head affectionately. He kept his voice stoic. "Hinata-chan. How'd you find yourself in a place like this?"

"W-well, um, Naruto-kun invited me, so I…"

His hand tightened on her head unnoticeably. If she mentioned that name on more time, he was going to…

It's not that he had a problem with her having a boyfriend. He'd just kill anyone that dared ever go there, that was all. It was probably that big brother complex, but there was no way anyone was deflowering Hinata-chan with as much as a hug.

Like usual, they just stood there in comfortable silence with Itachi's hand on her head in quiet acknowledgement and the occasional glace upward from Hinata before she'd look away shyly. Neither was a big fan of parties. They just watched as Sasuke danced with the girls. Itachi smirked. At least he wasn't as big loser as most the guys standing bashfully against the wall. And Naruto…well, he was eating. He wasn't a loser, just a huge idiot.

Eventually, the partying toned down a bit. No one was sleepy yet, but they were all tired of dancing. Sakura suggested they all play a game. She forcefully gathered them all in a circle (in other words, screamed until she got her way) and placed a bottle in the middle. Can you guess what you they're going to play?

That's right, they're playing 'stare at the pretty bottle.'

No, they're playing spin the bottle. Reasoning that he wasn't exactly part of the party, Itachi refused to sit with them. Hinata, he knew, was simply too shy. But when Naruto urged her to join them all, he sensed her hesitation in refusing. He glared at Naruto hatefully above her head, but Naruto missed it completely and continued to egg Hinata on. She took a shy step forward, and Itachi instantly gripped her elbow and pulled her back. She blinked as she stared at Itachi in a fearful way.

She looked up at him with huge, wet eyes. "I…I just want to play, Itanii-san. Maybe I'll get to kiss…"

He scowled. "You can be such a baby, Hinata. Fine, go play, I don't give three shits."

He lets her go, and she gave him one last remorseful glance before cautiously joining the rest of the sluts…er, girls. She'd taken all of two steps before he raked a hand through his hair angrily and went with her. If anyone thought they were putting their lips anywhere on her persona, they were sadly mistaken.

"The rules are simple. If the bottle lands on you, then you have to kiss whoever spun. No exceptions," Sakura added with a grin.

Rolling his eyes, Itachi took a seat across from Hinata. She gave him a weak smile, looking as if they were boarding a roller coaster. He ignored her pointedly; he was still mad she'd dragged him into the game. Because she was the host, Sakura said she go to pick who spun first. She picked –you guessed it—herself. She kissed Neiji, who kissed Tenten, who kissed Naruto, who kissed Ino, who kissed Choji, who kissed Sakura who spun to…

…Itachi.

There was a collective silence, but Sakura was fluttering her eyes prettily at Itachi as she leaned forward to kiss him. He heard Hinata gasp, and saw Sasuke's fists tighten and he smirked at both. An opportunity to kiss his brother's woman? No way would he pass that up! He kissed her lightly and pulled away before she did. He could see in her heavy lidded eyes that it'd been too short for her; he smirked again. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Just as he thought that, he reached out to spin the bottle. While it was spinning, Sakura made an announcement.

"Okay, game change! Now it's seven minutes in heaven, and you can't come out unless you at least kiss the person!" She gave Itachi a wink to which he grimaced. "Starting with your spin, Itachi-sama."

He shrugged. He didn't mind, as long as no one spun on Hinata, especially not that Naruto idiot. He didn't mind kissing girls; hell, with his looks, he'd done it often enough. It meant absolutely nothing to him. Just a form of communication.

All that bullshit changed in a heartbeat when the bottle fell on Hinata. They stared at the bottle for a moment before raising their eyes to each other. Hinata's eyes were wide with shock, and Itachi was struggling to keep his expression emotionless.

But he couldn't keep the anger out of his voice. "There is no way in _hell _I am kissing Hinata-chan. There's no way in hell _anyone _is kissing Hinata."

"Aw, c'mon Itachi-sama," Sakura said, pouting cutely. "She's a big girl and you're a big boy. I'm sure you can do something for seven minutes. Or do you need longer?"

He growled in a way that shut her up immediately.

"I-Itanii-san i-is…my b-brother. I c-can't…"

"You guys aren't related!" Naruto shouted, though it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"They like to pretend they are," Sasuke stated, still angry that Itachi had kissed Sakura. "They've always been like that."

"Th-that's not…I like you too, Sasuke-kun…"

He smiled at her slightly. "You still have to go in the closet with him."

"I c-couldn't! W-we, we're…um, we…"

"You guys are getting in that closet," Ino said with a devilish grin. "Shikamaru, will you do the honors?"

"Nope."

"Shika, do it _now!!!"_

He covered his ears protectively, "Fine, fine, damnit! I didn't even want to come to this dumb party. Troublesome woman…

Shadow possession jutsu!"

In the next instant, Itachi felt himself go limb and he walked to the closet. He heard Hinata's screams, but he couldn't help her. It was the strangest feeling in the world. He was completely aware of all his surroundings, but he made only pre-approved movements. The next thing he knew, he was in the closet catching Hinata as she was thrown on his chest.

"Seven minutes," Sakura said playfully. "But for you two, how about we make it ten?"

Before Itachi could catch the door, it was slammed in his face. As if a door would hole him in. He punched it savagely, but it looked like they were using some kind of ninjutsu to keep it closed, because it barely twitched. He pounded on it a few more times before he heard a sobbing sound from behind him. He knew that sound oh-too-well.

Cursing rudely, he turned to Hinata and, sure enough, she was crying. Damnit, he hated when she cried. Despite what lovey-dovey thing you might be thinking, that was no older brother complex, it was simply that crying was weak and he hated weak. Especially on someone who wanted to live up to the title of his sister. When she cried or berated herself, things she did often, he felt like smacking her.

He approached her in a dangerous way. She reached out to him, but he grabbed her arms and held her at bay. "Stop crying right now, Hinata."

No good: the water works kept coming.

"Hinata, I'm serious. And look at me when I talk to you."

She complied with neither. That was it, he was pissed.

He punched the wall behind her unsympathetically. "Hinata shut up this damn second!"

Her head shot upward and she immediately stopped crying.

He still doesn't know what came over him. She was staring at him fearfully, not timidly but downright scared, and that just wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be scared of him, not of her big brother. Her tearstained face glowed from the faint light coming from the outline of the door as the echo of laughter coming from behind it disappeared, leaving only her. All the anger and annoyance he'd felt dissipated leaving only a warm feeling he'd never felt before. Without a conscious thought, he lowered his head to hers. His lips brushed hers and he was both surprised and delighted when she didn't pull back. The feel of her sent chills of desire coursing throughout every vein in his body. He pulled away in wonderment, unsure of why he'd never felt that with any other girl he'd ever been with.

"O-Onii-chan?" she whispered.

Being called her brother had never hit him with such an impact before. He'd like to kiss her till she forgot how to say that word.

But he never got that chance. Seconds later, the door opened and standing there was Sakura's mother, Masaru, with her hands on her hips in a femininely demanding way. She scolded the two and sent them back to the living room, where everyone was in their sleeping bags. They all looked miserable, no doubt being forced to bed by Sakura's mom. Hinata avoided Itachi's eyes as she sunk into her futon and turned away, staring at the wall. Sighing softly, he went to his own to consider why the hell he'd done that, and more importantly, why he wanted to do it again.

And that's how Itachi's personal hell started.

* * *

Shimi-chan: That's the end of chapter one! Hope you liked! By-the-by, this isn't a one shot, there is more to the story. Just saying. 


	2. Chapter One

Shimi-chan: I'm sorry. I was recently informed that I spelled Neji's name incorrectly. It's spelled 'Neiji' in my prologue, and that's how I thought it was spelled. But I was wrong, and I apologize. I changed it in this chapter, but there might be a few I missed. If there is, I apologize.

I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with the reviews I received. I also have a few questions to answer. In my story, Hinata is 15 going on 16, Sasuke is 16 (or he's going to be in the future of my fanfic) Itachi is 21 and Neji is 17. That's basically it. .

I'll try to make my updates as soon as possible. I got a head start on this story, meaning when I post one chapter I'm probably a few chapters ahead, but I like to look over my stories quite a lot before I post them. I'd hate to do anything half-assed and disappoint you guys, so bear with me. But I will say this is my main story right now, so I'm mainly working on this one.

Actually, my train of thought is really simple. Two names pop in my head, and if I see the possibility then I pair them up. So, yeah, this probably isn't the most common pairing in the world but I love this story. Writing it is really a lot of fun. It's surprisingly easy to capture Itachi's cold character (that's assuming I'm doing it right). That was what I was most worried about. I'm probably boring you. Okay, okay, I'm going, you don't have to push.

* * *

Chapter One:

"Lady Hinata requests permission to stay at the Uchiha home," said the messenger as he bowed respectfully.

Itachi eyed him disbelievingly. "Why?"

The man shrunk under Itachi's heated glare. "Um, she s-said that you'd know, so, uh…"

He continued glaring at the innocent man. Yeah, he knew. She'd probably gotten into another fight with a member of her family and was running away with her tail between her legs.

_Disgusting. _

His eyes narrowed at the thought. "Tell her she not only can't come, but that she'd better stop being a fucking crybaby."

By now the messenger was practically pissing his pants. Was everyone in that household weak? Itachi didn't hold much hope for the Hyuga clan. What he wouldn't give to have Hinata, or anyone for that matter, and train them properly. Maybe then the clan would survive.

But before Itachi had a chance to send the man away, his father came up behind him and placed a hand on his sturdy shoulder. "Nonsense! Lady Hinata is always welcome here!

Itachi shrugged his father's hand off. "This doesn't concern you, father."

He looked hurt for all of two seconds before breaking out into a devilish grin. "Ah, I see! A small lovers' quarrel, eh?"

Itachi ground his teeth to keep from hitting his father. "No, dad, we're not even lovers."

He winked. "Riight, sure, whatever you say!" He turned to the messenger. "Tell Lady Hinata she is quite welcome."

The messenger scattered off before Itachi could stop him.

He turned on his father. "I told you it was none of your business!"

"You'll never gain her forgiveness with her so far away! It'd be much easier if she were here!"

He couldn't believe how stupid his father was. "Forgive me for what?! I didn't do anything!!"

His father gave him a reproachful look. "Trust me on this, son, when it comes to women it's best to admit your mistake!" He turned to leave, but not before shouting out, "Remember, she's always right!" over his shoulder.

Itachi slapped a hand over his face in aggravation. God, he could swear his father's brain seemed to melt a little more each day. He hated them all, from his foolish father all the way down to his annoying little brother, even his whiny mother. The only good part of his family wasn't actually related to him. It was Hinata, and even she was weak! Besides, he'd probably lost her as a sister by committing incest.

It had been at least a month since that had happened, and he still couldn't comprehend why he'd done it. He looked at it from every angle, logically analyzing everything, but there just didn't seem to be a rational explanation. It bothered him that Hinata might remember, but for some reason, it bothered him even more that she might not. But, hopefully, she would pretend it never happened, because that's what he was going to do.

* * *

Hinata waited patiently in the shadows for her messenger to come back with an answer. She just couldn't stay at home anymore. When she first left, she'd only run blindly in any direction, and she somehow found herself in Uchiha land. Luckily, it didn't take her very long to find some willing passer-byer to play messenger for her.

So now her main concern was staying hidden from the Uchiha's keen senses. Of course, the fact that she was at least a mile away from the main house might have aided her a little, but with the Uchiha's extraordinary skills, she wasn't sure just how safe she was.

It was also because she'd chosen to be so far away from the main house that the man took so long to make the round trip. When he at last did return, he looked pale and out of breath, as if he thought he hadn't run fast enough or far enough. That could only mean one thing.

Itachi had answered the door.

Even knowing, she wanted to make sure. "Wh-what happened?"

The man looked angry. "Some maniac answered the door! You sent me there on purpose, didn't you?!"

Well, duh.

But, not being the smart-ass type, she instead said "N-no! Well, I mean I did, but I di-didn't think that Itanii-san would—"

"You're brothers with that fucking psycho?!"

"N-not really, but, um…"

Angrily, the man raised his hand to slap her.

Hinata flinched as an instinctive motion, closing her eyes tightly as she waited for the familiar pain that…

…never came.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to see the man on the floor, being pinned down by an Uchiha.

"I-Itanii-san!!"

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder. "Wrong."

She blushed and looked away to mask her embarrassment. "S-Sasuke-kun…I-I'm sorry."

Lifting himself off the messenger (who passed out from fear), Sasuke shrugged indifferently. "Whatever."

"H-How did you find me?"

He smirked. "I had a feeling you might be around here. Especially when I saw this guy running so fast. Your house is almost a day away. If you were there he would have paced himself. Either he was really stupid, which I don't doubt, or you were close by." He shrugged. "I took my chances."

She marveled his intellect. It seemed like his entire clan was smart. "T-then, I-I…"

"My dad already said you could come, so let's go. It's getting dark. Though, I should warn you, Itachi sounded pissed when he heard you were coming."

Her eyes widened. She's forgotten about Itachi!! But why would he be mad at her coming over? Unless…unless he was still mad about that day. Or, more accurately, that night. Sakura's sleepover.

In hindsight, she realized that there were so many other and better things she could have done that night to not offend Itanii-san. Like not play the stupid game in the first place. And since she hadn't seen him since that night, she had a feeling that he might think she was avoiding him. And she couldn't honestly say she hadn't been, but only that first day. Later, when she thought about the circumstances, she realized that he was probably just trying to protect her, like usual. He'd kissed her not as an act of incest, but to sate the demons from without the door so that they'd let her out.

Ah, young heiresses can be in such denial.

"D-do you think…he's mad at me…?"

He shrugged again. "It's hard to tell when he's mad. Just watch your back around him. He can be pretty ruthless, to anyone."

She shivered, thinking it from the chilly air but knowing better. Sasuke took off his shirt and handed it to her. "Here, take it."

She blushed furiously. "N-no! That's yours, Sasuke-kun!"

"Obviously. Just take it. I can handle the cold."

She averted her gaze. "W-well, so can I…"

"Take it, Hinata."

She reached out tentatively. "Th-thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah, whatever."

Once putting it on, she felt much warmer but also weak for not being able to withstand the night's air. And even weaker for not being able to get through a sentence without pausing or stuttering. And even _weaker_ for not being able to stand up to Sasuke. Although, in Hinata's defense, Sasuke isn't the easiest person to talk to.

So those were her missions during her stay. She was going to make it training. First, she would get through a whole sentence without stuttering or pausing. And it couldn't be a short sentence, like 'yes' or 'no' it had to be a whole sentence. And she was going to stand up to Sasuke. Yup, that's right, mission impossible.

The two young shinobi hadn't walked very far when Sasuke heard a faint noise in some of the trees. That was the problem with walking in forestry. Sure, it kept them hidden from adversaries, but it did the enemies the same favor. He inconspicuously reached for his weapon as he slowed his pace so he could be next to Hinata, should the need to protect her arise.

"Put your shirt back on Uchiha. What are you trying to do, make the Hyuga clan blind?"

Sasuke recognized the voice. "At least then you'd live up to your looks."

Neji growled as he presented himself in a rather elegant way by jumping down from the tree he'd been following Hinata in. Knowing he was no real threat with Hinata around, Sasuke lowered his guard slightly.

Hinata gasped. "N-Neji-sama! (She stuttered) What are you… (she paused)…um, what are you doing here?"

Mission failure.

"I came to look for you, Hinata. You really shouldn't run away like you do, you worry us."

She turned away embarrassedly. "I-I'm sorry cousin Neji, b-but…"

"I'm taking you back home, Hinata."

She looked uncomfortable. "B-But…Uchiha-san is expecting me…He said I could…"

Neji lifted a brow. "Am I supposed to care? I don't. You're coming with me."

Sasuke watched her struggle with her words, as she usually did, and eventually decided to aide her. "My dad already said she could come. We're ready for her arrival, so she might as well go, even if it's for a while."

Neji glared. "I don't care if you prepared a fucking parade, she's not going."

"Neji-sama! I want to go…! Please!"

Neji eyed her before sighing resignedly. "Fine, I guess you could stay for a few days."

Her lips started to curve into a smile.

"But only if I go with you."

Her lips plummeted to a shocked expression.

"B-But, N-Neji!" she sputtered. "You can't! I mean, well…! You just can't!"

He lifted a brow. "If you think that I'll stand idly by while you let yourself be seduced by either of those two idiots—"

Why did everyone make that assumption?! "N-No! Cousin Neji, I just…I want to go…alone…please…"

He shrugged. "Sorry Hinata-chan, but it's that or nothing."

He meant it too. She had no doubt that he would go to any length to ensure his own will, even if that meant throwing her over his shoulder and walking the whole way to the Hyuga household. She shot Sasuke a look of desperation over her shoulder, but it was futile. He honestly didn't care all that much.

Sighing sadly, she nodded. Maybe she could hide behind Itachi all weekend…Pfft, yeah right. If she even tried, she knew he'd throw her to Neji. "Okay, Cousin…"

He smiled. "Good. Now c'mon, we have a lot of ground to cover. If you get tired, just let us know Hinata-chan."

"I-I won't get tired…"

"If you say so."

His answer didn't exactly comfort her as she walked behind the two in-your-face superior shinobi. It was moments like this where her heart most yearned for Naruto. He had the confidence to stand up for himself. Maybe he'd be able to defend her too, because she couldn't do it alone. No, but this time, she was going to. She was going to defend herself, she was going to talk, and she was going to…hate every second of it.

* * *

Itachi pounded the pillows his father had asked him 'fluff' for Hinata's arrival. Not only had his father deliberately disobeyed him by welcoming Hinata, now he was making Itachi clean the guest room she was to stay in.

"Like hell I will!" he'd said, but then his smart-ass of a brother had come along and said Itachi didn't know how to clean.

And so now here he was in the room, 'fluffing' pillows and 'sweeping' (or kicking stuff under the bed) the floors. He stepped back to admire his handiwork. It gleamed at him, sending a smirk of arrogance to his lips. Now all he had to do was remind Hinata not to open the closet, and he'd be set.

Just as he'd finished his tremendous feat, his father called excitedly 'She's here! She's here!' to everyone in the house. God, not even Sasuke was that annoying, and he was supposed to be the youngest. As soon as the announcement went out, Itachi saw his mother scatter to her room to check if her makeup was perfect. Rolling his eyes, he realized subtly that his brother was nowhere in sight. But he can honestly say he didn't care.

He walked casually over to the front door to the house to greet his guest properly. He was going to be polite, because whenever he could catch her alone, she was dead. Seriously, it's what she gets for being such a coward.

He was only mildly surprised when he saw his brother enter the house first. That would explain where he'd been for the past while. Then he was slightly pissed when Neji came in after. He was an annoying smartass and Itachi had been forced to deal with him before. When Hinata entered the house, though, his mind went numbingly still.

He was supposed to pretend it had never happened, but the moment her lips were within seeing distance, he remembered nothing but it. It was all he had to keep from crushing her to himself and kissing her furiosly. Now, how would that look?

She was having similar problems, but hers was that she was trying to figure out why he was staring at her so intensely. His gaze was scathingly roving her, but his intensity didn't come from anger, it came from something she didn't recognize. All the confusion did was scare her witless, so much so that she hung a little closer to Neji. A big mistake on her part, because the act of weakness served only to further aggravate the angry Uchiha.

Or it would have, if he himself hadn't been currently preoccupied.

"I-Itanii-san," she uttered nervously, dying under his scrutinizing gaze.

He snapped out of it, returning to his usual glance of stoicism as he waved slightly. "Yo."

She mentally sighed, glad to have the usual Itanii-san back.

"Neji m'boy, it's been ages!" bellowed Itachi's father as he crushed the innocent boy in a bear hug.

Neji struggled for a mouthful of air. "Can't…Breathe…"

Itachi's mother swatted his father's arm, worry evident in every wrinkle adorning her colorful face. "Fugaku, let him go this minute! The poor boy needs air!"

Fugaku laughed as he let the boy go. The moment he was free, Neji stepped away, glaring scornfully at the man that seemed to get stronger where every other normal human being got weaker. Hinata yelped when she saw Fugaku's gaze sweep over her, waiting for the turmoil that would be what her and Neji commonly referred to as 'Hug of Death.'

Luckily for Hinata, he simply gave her a chaste not-as-painful hug, making her sigh in relief.

"H-Hello, Uchiha-san. Th-Thank you for inviting us into your home…"

"Why, no problem, Hinata! At this point, you need not even ask! You're welcome here always." Suddenly, he broke out into a devilish grin. "You should have seen how excited Itachi was when he heard you were coming!"

She blushed. "R-Really?"

"Hell no," Itachi said. "Don't fill her head with shit, dad. Don't you have something better to do?"

His mother gasped. "Itachi, how crude! You should know better to speak like that when there are ladies present!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why don't you join dad, somewhere else."

His mother's eyes filled with wet tears before she ran out of the room. Fugaku sighed. "She's really a handful." He followed her at a snail's pace, hoping he wouldn't catch up to her.

So that left the rest of the shinobi in the room in an extremely uncomfortable silence.

"Well, I'm leaving. I have a training session to get to," Sasuke stated, before walking out the front door.

Neji simply walked to the room he recognized as the guest room.

So now it was just Hinata and Itachi.

All the anger he'd been saving up the entire morning chose that moment to return. "What the hell are you doing here, Hinata?" he demanded. Calmly. Dangerously.

She looked away, down at her feet. "W-Well, I just w-wanted to see you."

"Bullshit. You got into another fight with your dad, didn't you?"

"N-No, I…W-well, I might h-have but it's not the reason…"

"You are so fucking irritating. If you hate your dad putting you down so much, why not prove him wrong?"

"I…I just…"

"No, you don't have an answer for that, do you?"

She fell silent, tears stinging her eyes.

"I swear to God, if you start crying, I'm going to give you a reason to cry."

Sucking up what tears hadn't left her eyes, she dropped her head lower. "I…Itanii-san, I'm sorry, I should just go…"

He sighed. "No, you're already here. And you brought your _cousin_ too."

She whipped her head up to face him. "N-NO! He c-came on his own, I swear!"

"I don't care, Hinata. But you're not staying here for free."

"O-Of course not! I'll do housework!"

He smirked. "That's not even close to what I was thinking."

She was about to question what he meant, but by the time she'd blinked he was suddenly in front of her. Right in front of her. He pushed her roughly against the wall, bringing a small yelp from her. Lowering his head to her ear, the smirk was evident in his voice when he said "Your body belongs to me."

She blushed madly and lowered her head so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye. "I-Itanii-san!! H-H-How could you suggest such a thing?!"

He frowned. "Don't be so perverted, Hinata. I meant that I was going to train you."

Oh yeah, that was much better.

"W-What do you mean?? I-I-I just g-got…I mean I already h-have training."

"Obviously it isn't enough."

"I-I'm doing my b-best…"

"And I'm telling you your best isn't good enough."

"…I…"

"See, you can't even stand up to me."

He said that as if she'd be able to.

"I'm not asking you, Hinata, I'm telling you that from this day forward I'll be your trainer."

"B-But you don't even have Byakyugan!"

He shrugged. "Don't need it. If you don't know how to use that then you're not even worth my time."

Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back for the sake of her life. "W-Why are you always so cruel?"

His eyes softened, but his rigid stubbornness prevented him from apologizing, or easing up for that matter. He'd just opened his mouth to reply when a shout was heard from the guest room, Neji as the source. Hinata gratefully took the opportunity to get away from Itachi, making a mental note to try and not be caught with him alone again. When they reached the door to the room, they found Neji on the floor with a pile of junk on top of him.

"Uchiha, your family's full of fucking retards! Who's the idiot that put all this shit in the closet?!"

Itachi may not like his family, but he hates getting dissed even more. "Don't you ever come into this house and insult Uchiha blood, you brat."

Neji's glare grew cold. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want."

The two shinobi glared at each other with disdain that rivaled hell's fire, and might have escalated the situation had not Hinata input her own opinion.

She giggled.

Once, then twice, then multiple times until she was doubled over with humor. Itachi, thinking it was him she was laughing at, had a good mind to go over and teach her a good lesson, but she quickly saved herself by pointing at Neji.

"Y-You look so funny!" she managed between giggles.

Neji turned away angrily, though his cousin's laughter had managed to calm him. "Yeah, just get me out of here."

Obediently she went to his side and began digging him out of the clutter, still giggling. "I-I'm sorry Neji-kun, but you look so cute, hee!"

"You don't have to apologize."

Itachi watched Hinata smile tenderly as she dug through the crap he'd stuffed in the closet and smirked. Starting tomorrow she went from 'sister' to 'pupil.'

* * *

Shimi-chan: I like Ice cream. Does anybody share my love of it? And I don't mean eating it when it's there, I mean loving it so much that you'd eat it no matter what the weather. On super cold days I can be found outside eating me Cookies n' Cream. It's really very good. Well, I'm off to get ice cream. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

"No, no, no! Don't cower, _dodge_! There is a goddamn difference, you know!"

Hinata struggled to hold back the tears that had been burning in her eyes for hours as Itachi prepared to throw another round of kunai at her. She remained deadly alert, knowing that Itachi was in no way pulling his punches for her. This had been going on all morning, the act Itachi insisted on calling 'training.'

Hinata called it attempted homicide.

Much to the Hyuga heiress's demise, Itachi had been serious the day before. Well…she'd known he was serious (when was he not?) but she thought if she could only avoid being alone with him she'd be okay. That plan hadn't worked very well, because he'd woken her up what seemed like five seconds after she'd shut her eyes in order to train her. So now here she was, the sun just rising mind you, waiting to be bombarded by more deathly kunai. It might have been easier to handle had Itachi's level of ninja art not been so above her own. His capabilities were more that double hers, and so was his expectancy level. In other words, he was throwing everything in his pouch at her continuously and chronically while she dodged one out of every five he threw. He was too fast for her, and his temper was getting faster.

He watched angrily as she struggled with the simplest of tasks, disgusted. All she had to do was dodge the fucking knives. Was that really so difficult? He'd known how to do this when he was half her age. They'd been here for only about four hours and she was already panting and bleeding everywhere. The sun was coming up already; she should have it by now!

But no, she was near to tears, and he'd be damned if he let that stop him.

After a long while of him cursing and her holding back tears, he decided to call it a day before he actually did kill her. Which at the time didn't sound like so bad an idea.

He rubbed his hand over his face. "Ugh, fine Hinata. We'll continue after you've eaten."

"B-but, if I fight after I've eaten…I might…um, I might…"

He grew irritated. "Spit it out!"

She blushed. "Throw up…"

He glared at her callously. "So? You should be less worried about that and more worried about your current physical state."

Turning away, she nodded.

"Good. Now come on, little sis. I'm sure by now everyone should be up."

She looked at him perplexedly at his calling her by her pet name. He wasn't glaring anymore. Instead, he had on the usual stoic expression, but it wasn't nearly so cold to her. It never was. She smiled as she took her place beside him.

When they'd entered, the aroma of burnt food was so bad that both jerked their heads outward as it rose to meet them. Hinata coughed and covered her mouth with her hands in a futile attempt at fresh air. Itachi somehow withstood it, but he was in no way unaffected by it.

"What the hell is that smell?!"

Fugaku poked his head through his bedroom door. "Your mother tried to cook again."

"Damnit, doesn't she ever learn her lesson?!"

He shrugged. "Guess not." Seconds later he was attacked by a flying pillow from within the room. He smiled sheepishly into the room. "What??? I ate it, didn't I?"

Sobs were heard, followed by Fugaku's great sigh and then his re-entering the room.

Hinata and Itachi bravely made their way to the source of the smell: the kitchen. As they got closer, Hinata's coughs grew more consistent and rough, though she tried to hold them in. Both Neji and Sasuke were in the kitchen when they got there, opening windows while fanning the air with rags. Upon seeing Hinata, Neji threw her a rag.

"Help us, would you?"

She instantly began fanning the air with them, but her coughing didn't stop. Itachi soon grabbed the cloth from her.

"I'll do it. Go outside and wait for me."

She hacked. "N-No Itanii-san, I can—"

"I have no doubt you can, but I'm going to do it. Now go outside."

She blinked, but when another cough attack came, she ceased her arguments and went out into the yard. Once out there, his choice of words struck her. The way he'd said what he had…the wording, it sounded like…like he believed in her. Maybe she was being unrealistic, but he said he had no doubt of her. She smiled softly to herself. If anyone should believe in her, she wasn't surprised it would be Itanii-san. Cold as he could be, she knew more than anyone he cared…to an extent, of course.

Several minutes later, she heard her name being called by Neji to come back into the house. She did so immediately and went back into the kitchen. She heard sobs coming from within the master bedroom. Not so surprising. Itachi's mother, Mikoto, was a bigger worrywart than…well, than Hinata. She hated to say it, because it sounded so rude, but it was the truth. Fugaku definitely had his hands full with her.

"Hey Hinata where were you this—Hey! What happened to you?!"

She smiled shyly at her cousin. "W-Well, I was out training with Itanii-san, s-so I could get stronger…"

Neji gave looked over her fresh cuts and worn out body…it had not been a good training session. "If you wanted someone to train you, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Hinata wanted the best ninja to train her," Itachi said, walking out of the kitchen. "And that's not you."

Neji glowered at him. "This doesn't concern you, Uchiha."

"What?" Sasuke said, also just leaving the kitchen.

"What do you mean 'what'?"

"You're the one that called me."

"No, I was talking to your brother."

Only Hinata noticed the look of anger that passed over his face before it returned to its black stare. "Oh."

Hinata blinked at the fleeting face of Sasuke's, but no one was noticing her right now.

"I'm going to keep training her," Itachi said with finality.

"Not if she doesn't want you too," Neji countered angrily. "What do you say, Hinata?"

She didn't answer.

"Hinata?"

She blinked and averted her gaze to her cousin. "H-Huh?"

"…Were you paying attention?"

She blushed. "N-No, Cousin Neji. I-I'm sorry…"

She had been too busy staring at Sasuke. There had been something so familiar in his eyes when he'd looked angry. Kind of like the way she looked when someone berated her and then praised her little sister, Hanabi.

Neji's voice tuned her out of her thoughts. "Hinata? What do you say?"

"H-Huh?"

"What are you looking at?"

She blushed. "O-Oh, nothing! W-What do I say to what?"

"To Itachi training you."

"O-Oh…Um, I," Itachi was glaring at her from above Neji's head, which didn't exactly ease her discomfort, "Um, I think i-it's a, uh, g-good idea."

Neji lifted his brows before following her gaze and looking directly into Itachi's death orbs. "Stop scaring her," Neji growled.

"Everything scares her," Itachi said easily.

"Not true, Uchiha. You just happen to scare everything."

Them's fighting words in my country.

But Sasuke saves the day. "She still exists, you know. Why talk about her like she's not here?"

They both turned to him.

"Since when do you care?" Neji asked irately.

Sasuke ignored the question. "She already said she was okay with it."

"Yeah," Itachi agreed (a rare sight). "It's not as if she needed your permission anyway."

"N-Neji-kun, I'm really…I mean, I'm okay with it…I just want to get stronger…I want to be with Naru—"

She realized her mistake before she even finished her sentence. One: Itachi was glaring at her. The sound of Naruto's name had the tendency to irritate him. Two: Sasuke looked surprised, so she knew he knew who she was talking about. And he was partners with Naruto! Three: Neji knew who she was taking about. Meaning now she would never be able to get within five inches of him.

Or, more accurately, Naruto would never be allowed within five inches of her.

An awkward silence followed her words, and she covered her mouth with both hands as she blushed ten different shades of red. Sasuke spoke first.

By now, he'd gotten over his surprise and went back to his nonchalant mannerism. "So you like Naruto?"

She shook her head. "N-No! I-I mean, uh, I don't…I…"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter if you do," he said. Itachi knocked him upside the head for it.

"Hell yes it does!" he shouted. "She can't like that dumbass! Don't encourage her!"

Sasuke rubbed his as he glared at his brother. "She gets to make her own decisions."

"No she doesn't!" both Neji and Itachi said.

That made Hinata feel very nice.

She was tired of this. As unnoticeably as humanely possible, she snuck past the three and went into the kitchen. At least she almost did, but trying to sneak past those three was as impossible as getting high off sniffing candy canes.

"Where are you going?" Itachi demanded.

"I-I'm going to go eat…Y-You said that afterward, um…we could continue our training…"

He stared at her a second, before going back to that stoic and yet not so cold expression he reserved for her. "Sure. Let's go."

They both went to eat breakfast and when they were done, Hinata followed Itachi back out to the murder scene…I mean, training grounds.

* * *

By the time night fell, Itachi was angry enough with her that he could have left her outside to sleep. But then he'd have to deal with that damn cousin of hers, then his own father, then his mother…no, it was much easier to just ignore her.

She might have improved, but not enough to save her own body. She was covered in scratches, more so than in the morning, and blood was tricking across her cheek and arms. And to top it all of nicely, her prediction had come true: she'd thrown up. She looked disgraceful. He'd given up on her for the day.

"Go take a shower, eat, and then go to sleep. We're doing this again tomorrow."

She felt miserable as she literally dragged herself off to the shower room. On the way she passed Fugaku, who looked at her with a worried expression.

"What happened?"

She smiled weakly. "I-I was, um, training with Itachi."

He looked shocked for a moment, but it morphed into a suggestive grin. "Oh, I get it. Sure, you were training. I'll buy into that." He elbowed Hinata playfully. "I never realized you were so playful Hinata."

She genuinely had no idea what he was talking about until he called her a 'naughty girl.'

She was covered in cuts and bruises and he was thinking about that.

She blushed. "No! M-Me and Itanii-sama…we, um, we're not anything like that…"

But he went on teasing her, and she kept with her embarrassed denial. After a few minutes of bothering her, Mikoto called from her room for him to stop. He flinched at her voice, and winked at Hinata before going to his own room. Hinata sighed as she walked sheepishly to shower and then to bed.

-

"Hinata, wake up!"

Hinata groaned quietly as she turned away from the obstructive noise.

"Hinata!"

Laying for a moment to ask why this was happening to her, she finally sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Stretching, she yawned. "Okay Itanii-san. I'm awake."

Neji shook her again. "It's me, Neji! Wake up Hinata, we're leaving."

Hinata woke at the moment. "W-What?! Why?! Did…" she hesitated. "Did Itanii-san say we have to leave?"

Neji lifted a brow. "No. And who cares if he had?"

"Then…Then why…?"

He started picking her up off the bed. "Your dad wants you."

She opened her eyes wide. "My…? No!" she whispered shrilly. "I-I don't want to go back!"

Neji paused a moment to look at her, then lowered his face within eye-level of her. "Look, Hinata, if there was something I could do…But there's not. I'm part of the cadet branch, and my job is to protect you."

"I…But…"

"Hinata, don't make this harder."

She paused before nodding hesitantly.

"Good. Now, come on." He grabbed her arm gently and lifted her. Then, after pausing a moment to make sure no one had awoken, they disappeared.

-

Itachi was not pleased. He'd woken up early, thought up a harder exercise, gotten all revved up (or as revved up as the Uchiha could get) and for what? For an empty room. And a dirty one at that. In other words, Hinata had bailed on him.

The amount of anger currently instilled in him was immeasurable.

Hinata had ditched him. Yes, it annoyed him so much that I had to use Italics, Bold, and the Underline. But if she thought she was going to get away, she was wrong. He went directly to the source.

"Hey, Neji! Get your ass over here!"

No reply.

Oh, he was being ignored now too. Growling, he screamed louder, and this time he did get an answer. From Sasuke.

"They left already," he stated simply, passing Itachi in the halls.

"What." His voice was cold and clearly pissed.

"They left," repeated Sasuke.

"And how do you know this?"

"They're not here anymore, duh." Then Sasuke left Itachi.

Oh, so Hinata just up and decided to leave. That was real nice. Not to mention the fact that she'd taken her cousin with her. The only problem was that he didn't know where she was going. She'd come here to run away from home, meaning she wasn't going there. Uzumaki's house? Nah, there's no was Neji was letting her do that. And she'd left the room dirty, not even bothering to clean it up.

Hey, wait a minute…The room's dirty? That doesn't sound like Hinata. Normally, when she came over their house, she had the decency to clean up after herself when she left. Sometimes, she even cleaned up the other rooms. There was no way she was leaving the house dirty for them, it wasn't her nature. Hmm…Maybe she didn't leave after all.

Maybe she might have even been taken.

No, there was no way anyone could have gotten past his keen senses. Then again…he had been awfully tired yesterday. He'd fallen asleep as soon as he hit the pillow, which was indeed a rare occurrence. And if she'd run away, he seriously doubted she'd go and wake her cousin. Neji, he knew, would let her go only home and she didn't want to be at home. So, in Itachi's eyes, this is what happened:

Someone had obviously come and attempted to kidnap Hinata. She hadn't cleaned the room like usual because she had no choice. Neji, who slept on the floor by her bed, must have been awoken by some noise. Then, once seeing Hinata, obviously on the verge of being kidnapped, he must have followed the man. And judging Neji's own capabilities, he'd probably gotten his ass kidnapped too!

Oh _shit_, Hinata got kidnapped.

Itachi felt something that was not panic settle in his heart, making it not go at least 50 beats per second. NOT. Because he wasn't nervous. He was Itachi, and Itachi did not get nervous. He ran in to the kitchen to find Sasuke for purely entertainment purposes. And then his voice was only slightly worried, and it wasn't because of Hinata. It was because…he was…slightly worried about…Global warming?

Once having proposed his idea to Sasuke, Sasuke lifted his brows. "You can't seriously think that's what happened."

"Look at the facts you dumbass! If you can't accept every possibility, then you'll never make it as a ninja!"

"You're right as always, Itachi. I should look at the facts and ignore that piece of paper right there under your nose."

Itachi glanced down at the paper Sasuke was indicating. It read:

_Uchiha family,_

_Thank you for having me. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I had to return home immediately. I'm so sorry._

_Sincerely,_

_Hinata Hyuga_.

He read it once, twice, even three times. In fact, some very brave (or suicidal) soul might say he was stalling. But eventually, he glanced up at his brother, who was currently smirking.

"Wipe that grin off your face or I'll do it for you."

Unfazed, Sasuke went on smirking. "No problem. I just wonder what Hinata would say if she saw you so worked up over her."

"And you'll keep wondering," he retorted in a cold voice, "because you're not telling her anything."

Sasuke's smirked broadened. "Sure thing, Itanii-san."

Growling irately all the way, Itachi left his house and went off to the Hyuga estate.

* * *

Shimi-chan: I did it! I thought it was impossible, but it wasn't! I made Itachi look dumb without getting out of character…well, kind of. I'm listening to 'Numb' right now, because I think it matches a lot of the personalities in Naruto, but in different ways. Hinata, at the moment. Well, tomorrow is the pizza party, so I guess I'm done. You don't know how many times I looked over and re-wrote this chapter. All my chapters, actually. But it's worth it. I think. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

She could see it now. It was right there. They were so close, Hinata was sure she could already hear her father scolding her. It had taken them less time than either had expected, which wasn't necessarily a good thing, and now their estate was within seeing distance.

The only accomplishment seemed to be that Hinata wasn't tired in the least, even though they'd slightly rushed to get there. Which meant that in some way, shape, or form she'd gotten stronger. After all, she still remembered the first time she'd had to walk from her house to the Uchiha estate…

_It seemed like they'd been walking for hours. 6 year old Hinata glanced hesitantly over her shoulder to see how much progress they'd made. Not much. She could still see their house, though it was farther than when she'd last looked. Her mouth was dry already, but her father had told her that the water was there only in case the baby, Hanabi, got thirsty. But Hanabi was beside her, walking along with her. Hinata didn't want to get outdone by a two-year-old. Still…maybe father would give in just this once. _

"_F-Father…?"_

"_Yes, Hinata?"_

"_I…um, I'm th-thirsty…"_

_Her father looked down at her with that familiar disappointed look. "No, Hinata. Do you see your younger sister asking for water?"_

_Hinata blushed and turned away sadly. "N-No…"_

"_And she's still two. Learn to be like your sister, Hinata. You're supposed to be older."_

_Tears stung her eyes. "Y-Yes father."_

"_Hey Hinata-chan, I could carry you!"_

_Hinata glanced up at her cousin surprised. "N-No…"_

"_Uh-huh, I could! Watch!"_

_7-year-old Neji then proceeded to carry Hinata. He struggled very little as he held her in his small, and yet already becoming strong, arms. Hinata had been blushing from the moment he swept her up to the moment her father reprimanded Neji. _

"_She needs to rely on herself," he'd said. "And she'll learn to only the hard way."_

_Neji put her down and gave her an apologetic look before she smiled at him in gratitude. He then grinned and ran ahead with the rest of the cadet branch. Hinata went back to walking tiredly, dying of thirst, and glancing over her shoulder constantly to check her progress. Once, when she'd looked over her shoulder, she'd seen her father carrying Hanabi while she drank water._

Hinata shook her head, wondering why she'd remembered that from so long ago. Now they were actually on Hyuga grounds, and the estate was getting bigger as they got closer.

"I can't go with you, Hinata."

Hinata glanced panic-seized at her cousin before realizing he was right. "O-Oh, yeah…"

"I'm cadet branch," he explained, without needing to. She already knew. "I have to go now; I don't want to risk getting any closer."

Hinata nodded. "I…understand."

He paused. "But…Hinata, if you wanted me to…"

She shook her head. "No thank you…I…I have to do this myself. B-Besides…I wouldn't want to get you into trouble…"

He smiled fondly before nodding and heading his own way. Hinata had half been hoping he would say something like 'no, I don't care, I'll go with you anyway' but at the same time she'd meant what she'd said. After all, her cousin was always looking out for her, even if he sometimes had unorthodox ways of doing it.

She took a deep breath before bravely taking the necessary steps toward the mansion, which felt a lot like walking to the gallows.

When she was in front of the intimidating doors, she didn't bother knocking. She just didn't want to bother anyone, you know? Okay, that was a lie. In actuality, she didn't want anyone to know she was there. At least not yet.

But her attempt at secrecy, as seemingly were her attempts at anything else, was in vain. When the door was open, her father was standing in front of it, arms crossed and staring her down with a stern expression. She sank under his gaze and avoided his eyes.

"H-Hello father…"

"Why did you come back?"

She blinked at that. "H-Huh?"

"You run away so often, and each time I wonder why you come back."

She saddened at his words. "W-Well, I…"

"I don't know how you turned out this way. Whatever it is, thank God it didn't get to your sister."

She flinched as if he'd hit her. Tears welled in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry…"

"For what? Leaving or coming back?"

She drew her head away from him, hoping this would end soon. She didn't answer. Honestly, she wasn't sure which one she was sorrier for.

"Well? Answer me, Hinata! Why are you so hateful and jealous of your sister?!"

Her eyes widened at his accusation. "No! I'm not! I don't…I mean I don't…hate her…"

"How stupid do I look?! You run away all the time, and God only knows what you do out there with that Uchiha boy!"

"Nothing! We are not involved that way!"

Her father actually looked surprised, because this was the record breaking first time she'd ever raised her voice to him without any sense of fear. But once the surprise passed, anger quickly rose to replace it.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way. Ever. Again."

She retained her sadness, but the tears were miraculously not there anymore. "I'm sorry, but I promise I don't do anything! Not anything like that!"

His look went from fatherly sternness to blind anger. He raised his fist, having every intention of bringing it across her face. Instead of flinching, Hinata got in her stance and blocked her face. But neither made contact with the other. A bulky figure stood in front of the two, blocking Hiashi's attempted punch. Both Hyuga's were surprised, as neither had sensed anything until the moment it was there.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Hinata said excitedly.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at her. "What the hell would make you think it was _him_?"

Yeah, she needed to work on that.

By now Hiashi had straitened and was back to that stern gaze, only this time it was directed at Itachi.

"This doesn't concern you, boy. How did you get past the cadet branch?"

"I didn't have to. They recognize me."

Hiashi redirected his argument. "You have no business here. It's rude to enter a house unannounced, also."

"Training."

"What?"

"Training," Itachi repeated. "That's what we've been doing. I've been training her."

Hiashi looked skeptical. "…Training?"

"That's what I said. It'd be much easier to train her at my house. I asked that you relinquish her to the care of the Uchiha clan while I prepare her to become the next head of the Hyuga clan. When I deem her fit I shall send her back."

"It's out of your place to ask such a favor!"

He lifted a brow. "Out of my place? As an heir of the Uchiha clan?"

"No, as someone with personal relations to her."

"I've told you; our relationship goes as far as training."

Hiashi was still skeptical.

"Neji could come once a month to check her progress. Or you could come, if you so choose."

"I wouldn't waste my time. Take her, try to train her. But it's an impossible feat."

Hinata had a look of such blatant pain that even Hiashi flinched inwardly at his own words. Just barely. Itachi glared at the man who called himself a father.

"Nothing's impossible for me."

And those were his parting words as he turned and walked out, knowing Hinata would follow him. She didn't even spare her father a backward glance, knowing she would have cried if she had. She instead chose to tough it out, forgetting this home and all the painful memories it brought.

Only when they'd left Hyuga ground did Itachi speak. "Excellent job, Hinata."

She blinked. "H-Huh? What do you…?"

"When your father was about to attack you, instead of flinching like I'd assumed you would, you stood your ground and prepared to defend yourself. That's at least some progress."

She thought back on her actions. He was right! It had been an unconscious reaction, but she'd done it. She even remembered thinking of hitting him back. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you abandoned your training this morning."

"But I...I didn't. Neji—"

"Don't start to make excuses, Hinata. You left."

The joy that had been there mere seconds ago dissipated.

He stopped walking to face her. "Still though. You've improved. So, good job."

Oh, it was back. Blushing, she smiled gleefully, causing his eyes to soften up just a little.

He turned around and continued walking to hide the emotion from her. "Don't get too proud. We still have a lot of work to do."

But it was too late. Her sense of joy had come and gone and then come back. It was there to stay.

At least till they had another training session.

* * *

Shimi-chan: You know what I've been thinking? HinataxGaara. What say you all? I think it'd be really good. I even have a good idea what it's going to be about. But fear not, I promise to finish this story first, and then another one I've already started working on, and then I guess I'll start that one. Then I'll probably take my other story off my list (The Hot Gimmick one) and post it again later when I've rewritten it. It sucks, far as writing goes. But, hey, I was a beginner then. Now I'm…well, not a beginner. 


	5. Chapter Four

Shimi-chan: I recently (as in, five minutes ago) edited all my chapters. They're virtually the same, except that I changed the names of Sasuke & Itachi's parents' to their actual names. I didn't know them before, but thanks to NinaWilliamsSilentAssassin aka kagomeandinuyashaforever, I know them now. I just thought you all should know that. Oh, let me just tell you all: Eichi is now Fugaku and Mahiru is now Mikoto. Fugaku and Mikoto are their actual names.

* * *

Chapter Four:

Sasuke sighed, so disinterested in what his father was telling him that he could almost shout just to have something to do. Sure, it was his birthday soon, but why hell did that have to be such a big deal? He was turning sixteen, big fucking whoop. Seriously, he thought he father was just looking for any excuse to be at a party.

"…and we could have it all in the ballroom, in the village of Konohagakure of course. Invite as many people as you want."

Sasuke perked up for the first time since the mind-numbing conversation had started. "Really?"

Fugaku grinned widely. "Of course!"

"Okay, then I'm inviting me."

"…and?"

"Nope, that's it."

Fugaku looked hurt. "C'mon, Sasuke! I know you don't exactly love parties, but it's your sixteenth birthday!"

"So? I don't want a party; it's a waste of life."

"Sasuke!" Mikoto reprimanded. "What a thing to say! You sound like your brother!"

"I don't care what I sound like. I don't want a party."

Fugaku switched tactics. "This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Oh well."

"And you know," he continued, "you'd have girls swarming you."

'_Like I don't already,'_ he thought. "I'm sure I'll live."

"You could invite that pink-headed girl. Sakura, was it?"

He shrugged. He'd long since gotten over her. Actually, he was still debating if he ever actually liked her or just had overactive hormones. He was, after all, a growing boy and he wasn't going to deny that Sakura was attractive. But so were a lot of girls, some even more so than her.

"Like I said, I'll live."

"Sasuke, we already made the arrangements," Mikoto said, her face already contorting into a worried frown. "Do you really want that money to go to waste?"

Oh, bother.

"After we spent all that time and dedication…"

She was going to start crying.

"We couldn't celebrate Itachi's birthday either because he didn't want to. You're the last chance we'll have in experiencing this."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, damnit. I'll do it."

Fukaku patted his son (abusively) on the back. "Atta boy!"

After regaining the nerve endings in his back, Sasuke straightened. "But I don't want that big of a deal. Just something casual."

"No problem," Fugaku said with a toothy grin.

And Sasuke made the mistake of trusting his parents. As soon as he left, the two parents exchanged grins.

"Are we going to…?"

Fugaku nodded. "You know it."

-

What was pretty hard to take in stride even for the stoic Uchiha were two of his more persistent (if not the most persistent) admirers, Ino and Sakura. They insisted on congratulating him at every turn of the day. Whenever he had the misfortune of running into them together, he'd be the victim of serious arm-pulling wars. After escaping that demise, he'd have to lose them, which he normally did.

But there was that one day where they'd gone as far as to follow him all the way home. Of course Sasuke would have left them out there to rot but Fugaku, the ever relentless pervert, fervent in his pursuit of his son's happiness, let them in. Soon they were clinging at either side of him, while he tried desperately to make them go away.

Hinata walked in on this rather comical sight, after just finishing up the first round of training with Itachi. She'd seemed to be improving at her blocking, but Itachi still hadn't moved her up to offense. Her dodging was still coming out in cowers, an act Itachi rewarded only with harder drills, but she was getting more used to having dangerous weapons getting thrown at her.

She hadn't been expecting visitors, especially these two, so she blushed when she entered aware of the way she must look.

She gave a small wave. "H-Hello…"

Sakura smiled politely. "Hinata-san, you're living here with the Uchiha's?"

She nodded slowly. "I-Itanii-san is training me…"

Both girls skimmed her. "It shows," they said in unison.

Hinata blushed deeper and grinned rather sheepishly. "I-It's okay…I think I'm getting b-better…"

"Barely," Itachi muttered as he walked in to get some water. He'd learned from previous disappointments not to get mad at her failures anymore, instead being completely passive about them.

Hinata looked away with a sad expression.

Sakura changed the subject. "Are you going to Sasuke-kun's party?" she asked, squeezing her body closer to his arm.

He tried unsuccessfully to shake her off, and then mentally cursed his father.

She nodded again.

"What, you mean you're actually going?" Itachi asked, after taking a gulp of orange juice from the container.

"W-Well, why not? I mean…I think…"

"I bet you're hoping Naruto's going to be there," Ino said, winking playfully.

Itachi froze while taking his second swig and caught Hinata's eyes with a glare. He stared at her for a long moment, to the point where Hinata knew what he was going to say before he did.

"I'm going too."

Hinata cursed her luck. "B-But—"

He didn't bother listening to her, instead just leaving the kitchen.

Another awkward silence before Sakura spoke up again. "What are you going in?"

Hinata looked down at herself, and the only type of outfit she had. She then looked up and shrugged shyly.

"Really?!" Sakura shouted, causing Sasuke to cringe. "We have to take you shopping!! Right Ino?"

Ino nodded vehemently. "Yeah! I can already think of some things that would look really cute on you, Hinata!"

"And while we're at it, we could get her pretty earrings!"

"Yeah, yeah, and we could do her hair!"

Sakura's death-grip on Sasuke was beginning to slip as she thought of the excitement of the challenge before them. "Buy her some cute shoes!"

"And make-up!" Ino said, also letting go of Sasuke.

Sasuke casually slipped his arms away from the Satan duet, reminding himself to thank Hinata later…after apologizing for leaving her in their claws.

Both girls, oblivious to Sasuke's absence, squealed. "It's going to be so much fun!"

Meanwhile, Hinata stood there idly wondering what had just happened. "B-But, you don't have to…"

Ignoring her statement, Sakura finally regarded Hinata. "The party's a week from now. We're already behind. The hair and make up we can do the day before, but for the rest we have to get started right now."

Ino nodded in agreement. "I know this cute little boutique where they sell the best clothes and shoes at the best prices! It's by the bookstore."

Sakura's eyes glimmered with recognition. "Oh, yeah! Come on, we have no time to lose!!"

Before she could protest, Hinata was being grabbed at each arm, much like Sasuke had been earlier. She felt for him pity, for he had to endure this every day.

-

Somehow, and she didn't know how, shopping with the two excited girls had been more exhausting than training with Itachi. They'd pushed her in and out of stores, thrown clothes to her over the fitting room doors, nodded and shaken their heads at different combinations until finally they'd chosen one that had seemed perfect to even Hinata.

This isn't to say she wasn't completely nervous about wearing the yukata they had chosen. After all, Naruto was going to be there and she wanted to look her best. They'd also bought her a pair of earrings that she thought was costing more than they were worth. But then, what did she know abut this stuff? The hairdo they had in store for her as well as the make up they were going to apply on her remained a mystery Hinata really did not want to uncover.

And now that they had been sated, she was back at home anxiously awaiting the punishment Itachi was sure to bestow upon her. She had, after all, skipped her second set of training. He would most definitely ask why, and she would be forced to say it was for the party. He'd define that into 'for Naruto', which wasn't entirely untrue, and she'd get extra training. That she could handle, it was the process in which he shitless her that she didn't like.

After placing her new clothing items in her room, she washed up a little before going to join the rest of the family at dinner. When she got there, the whole room stopped their conversation to look at her. Having their undivided attention sent a flush to Hinata's face. She instantly went to her reserved place at the table and stared down at her lap until the conversation started up again and they acknowledged something other than her.

Once comfortable, she served herself some food and gingerly began eating. It was unusual, the way the Uchiha family ate. Completely different from things back home. Things were always done in silence in the Hyuga clan. She remembered once when someone had actually attempted to strike up a conversation. Not only was she ignored, but they'd never let that go. They teased her about it even today.

But even the usually quiet Uchiha boys were talking, even if it was light conversation. Then Hinata realized they were talking about the party.

"You need a date," Fugaku said, grinning suggestively. "You know, since you're the birthday boy…"

"Hell. No."

"Come on, Sasuke, you know you want a girl at your side! Trust me, it has its advantages." He winked at Mikoto.

A rare smile curved her lips.

"I already agreed to have the party," he said. "There's no way I'm taking any of the psychopaths that like me."

"They can't all be bad," Fugaku said.

"You have no idea."

"He's just saying that because he can't get a date," Itachi said, uncharacteristically speaking.

This was payback for tricking him into cleaning.

Sasuke growled. "I could get one if I wanted to. I just don't want to."

"Sure, whatever you say little brother. It'll be embarrassing, though, to be the only person in your own party without a date."

Sasuke tried to ignore his brother, but it was always easy for them to get under each other's skin.

A long pause, then "Fine! I'll take a stupid date!"

Fugaku smiled. "Excellent! Itachi?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Fugaku firmly clasped his hands together. "Those are my boys! Good, good!"

The rest of dinner was spent talking about other irrelevant things.

-

Hinata was immensely relieved when she was already in her pajamas, in her bed, the lights shut off, and still Itachi had not confronted her. That meant she could skip the scary ranting part and go directly to the punishment.

Just as she'd settled herself comfortably in her sheets, a knock was heard at her door. Her heart fell. Oh, she had been so close…but she knew that was Itachi and that he was going to chew her out. Praying she wouldn't cry, she timidly stood and opened her door.

It wasn't Itachi, but Sasuke at her door. "S-Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded curtly. "Were you asleep?"

She shook her head honestly. "N-No. Is…Is there something wrong?"

"No. So…how are you?"

Okay, _that_ was weird.

Sasuke and Hinata were simply not close enough to wake each other for no reason whatsoever. "Um…I'm f-fine…"

"How about I just come right out and say it? I want you to be my date for the party."

A blush crept to her face, called its friends, which also came, until her face was as red as a tomato. "M-M-Me?!?! Y-You w-w-want m-me?"

He shrugged. "It's better than some of the other options I have."

Pure male logic. The way Sasuke saw it, she was a LOT less crazy than any of the other girls in Konoha. Besides which, she liked Naruto, so he wouldn't have to worry about her being clingy.

The last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings. "B-But…I l-like N—"

"I know. I'm not asking you to marry me, Hinata, just to go with me to my party. You don't have to say yes. Just think about it."

She stared at him with huge, innocent eyes. "S-Sasuke-kun…I…"

"It's a yes or no question. Either answer will do."

She stuttered another useless reply.

"You know what? Sleep on it. We'll talk in the morning."

He started to leave.

"O-Okay…" she whispered, barely audible.

He stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder. "What?"

Her face was averted, but the blush was impossible to hide. "I s-said I'd go with you…if you r-really want to, then…"

He smirked. "Good. See you in the morning."

He left then. She leaned against the door when she'd closed it and slumped to the floor as she tried to calm her beating heart. Blushing still, the reality of what she'd just done sank in. She knew Sasuke didn't like her. He probably just wanted to prove Itachi wrong; she knew how competitive they were towards each other. She also knew she liked Naruto, not Sasuke.

Then why was her heart beating so fast?

But, more importantly, why had she said 'yes'?

* * *

Shimi-chan: Yup. I'm tired. I wrote this in one day. I've started this new chapter a day regimen so I can get updates up sooner. Wish me luck, and please keep me motivated! 


	6. Chapter Five

Shimi-chan: My 'chapter a day' regimen didn't go as expected. The very next day I had this community service thing at the Lehigh Edison & Ford Holiday House. It was pretty fun, actually. I'm in JROTC, so I had to be standing and keeping people out of certain places, but I got relieved a lot. That means people took over my post so I could get some free time. So, yeah, we stood at 'attention' for a long, LONG time. By the time I got back I was so tired I went straight to sleep. So let's not count that day, 'kay?

NinaWilliamsSilentAssasin: …Hope this satisfies. (Shrugs) Oh well, this is not my strong suit.

* * *

Chapter Five:

Ino swatted Hinata's hand away.

"Don't touch your face yet! We're not done."

Hinata blushed shyly. "I-I'm s-sorry."

Ino and Sakura both went back to their work on Hinata's hair and face. The big day was here: in a few hours they would all be in the most talked about party of the year. The poor Sasuke, he had been bombarded with attention all week long. His parents had sent out invitations to only certain people, despite their telling Sasuke they wouldn't make a big deal, and so even stepping out of the house was a risk to being attacked. After all, who didn't want to go? He was now being brought bribes, being made deals, being threatened even, all so they could go to one stupid party. And it was all those damn parents fault.

Isn't it always?

Also the whole 'date' thing had not been mentioned between the two since she'd said yes…verbally. But she'd caught him more than once smirking at her, to which she'd usually blush and look away. And more than once he's seen her staring at him with this unreadable expression, to which he'd usually cock a brow. It also hadn't been mentioned to anyone else, for knowledge that they'd make a commotion about it.

Which is why, throughout the entire time Hinata had been sitting in the chair with both kunoichi prepping her, she had said not one word about it.

"Who are you taking, Sakura?" Ino inquired.

"I'm going with Naruto, but only because Sasuke-kun said he was already taken."

"Really?! By who?!"

Sakura shrugged. "Who are you taking?"

"I asked Shikamaru, but I'm going to his house later on to make sure. You know how lazy he can get."

Sakura giggled. "How about you, Hinata? Oh! I'm sorry! I completely forgot that you like Naruto! You wanna trade?"

That sounded really appealing but Hinata had this crazy theory that maybe boys weren't items to be traded. Yeah, I know, she's insane. "N-No…I mean…I'd like to…but…um…Do you like…?"

Sakura grimaced. "Naruto? Are you kidding? He's an idiot. Actually, I don't know what you see in him. He's not even that cute."

"W-Well…he's, um, inspirational…and he's so strong…"

Sakura contemplated that. "Well, yeah, I guess he is strong. But I don't know about inspirational."

"Done!" Ino said, stepping back to inspect Hinata. She gasped, a shocked expression replacing her smile. "Sakura…look what we did…"

Sakura stepped back also, and mirrored Ino's face. "Wow…"

Hinata was blushing. "W-What…?"

Ino and Sakura exchanged glances. "She's ready," Ino said, smiling proudly.

--

Because it was a private party, and because Sasuke recognized everyone that was there, his parent's promise had actually rung true. It wasn't very formal, though the dress-code was, and it was a comfortable atmosphere. Sasuke was in the ballroom chatting with some of his old classmates, still waiting for Hinata. If he'd known she was going to be so annoying he might have asked someone else. Itachi, who had only come to keep Naruto off Hinata, was growing equally irritated.

"Where the hell is she?"

The girl Itachi had asked, some random chick he'd found attractive, gave him a pout. "Why are you so worried about this girl? I'm right here."

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I didn't come for you."

Her pout turned into an angry glare. "If you don't start paying attention to me, I might leave."

He was about to tell her to go ahead and do it, but Sakura and Ino ran excitedly into the room and then called everyone to attention. When they were ignored, Sakura grabbed the microphone from the stage and shouted for everyone to pay attention. And, trust me, they all did.

"Introducing for the first time, but not the last, the new and improved Hyuga Hinata!"

Ino proceeded to open the doors dramatically, bringing to view a Hinata no one had ever seen before.

They all gaped.

She was wearing a sleeveless yukata that started with a plum purple at the top then slowly faded into a creamy white. The two long bangs that usually fell over the sides of her face were pulled back and tied behind her head, and the rest of her hair had been dried professionally giving it a softer and lighter appearance. Her earrings were diamond string earrings that hung almost down to her shoulders. Her curves were accentuated so people could finally recognize her for the woman she had truly become. To add to the effect, she was wearing a white rose on her wrist and her face was decorated prettily with lavender eye shadow. Her eyes were also outlined with light liner and mascara. The shiny lip-gloss she was wearing added to her sensuality. Not even the fact that she looked extremely uncomfortable could take away from her beauty.

Even Itachi was speechless.

She took a step forward, and then tripped over her own feet, not used to wearing heels. That could have been a very embarrassing moment, had it not been for Sasuke's quick thinking. He moved swiftly to catch her around the waist before she could even mess up her hair. When she looked up at him wide-eyes, he was smirking.

"Are you okay?" he whispered softly.

She was blushing through her make-up. "Y-Yes…Thank you, S-S-Sasuke-kun…"

By now everyone had awoken from their would-be trance and approached Hinata excitedly. Even her own cousin was surprised to see her that way. The whole crowd gathered around the two, for they were complimenting each other's looks.

"Hinata," Neji said, staring at her in shock. "What are you wearing…?"

She gazed away. "…Wh-Why…? Do you…l-like it?"

"Yeah, yeah, you look good!" he assured her, "But…I didn't even know you had one of those."

"I didn't…S-Sakura and Ino t-took me sh-shopping."

And it came to pass that Sasuke felt the only amount of gratitude he's ever felt for those two.

Itachi was still where he'd been standing before, still gaping at Hinata. He'd known that she was going to get dressed for the party but this…this he hadn't expected from Hinata. Not that he was disappointed in any way…she looked gorgeous. He was just surprised.

The girl he'd invited punched him on the shoulder. Or at least she tried to, but his surprise didn't rule out his awareness. He caught her arm and squeezed it painfully.

"Don't touch me," he said. Glaring coldly at her.

She blinked, shocked that he would hurt her. Itachi left her behind and went to join the crowd gathered around the guests of honor.

"Wow Hinata, you look _hot!!"_

Three fists connected with the kitsune's head painfully.

Hinata blushed all the same. "Th-Thank you, N-N-Naruto…"

Sasuke placed his arm possessively around Hinata's waist, Neji stood between Naruto and his cousin, and Hinata looked shyly away from the surrounding people.

"Um…Th-Thank you all f-for…for c-complimenting me…"

"Okay, break it up!" Neji barked. "Stop crowding Lady Hinata! C'mon, break it up!"

The crowd gradually went back to the rest of the party, leaving the grateful Hinata to be with only people she was actually comfortable around. She smiled as Kiba told her she looked nice, blushed when Naruto somehow ducked around Neji and told her the same, giggled slightly when Neji dragged him away, and when Itachi just stood there staring at her…she panicked.

It was there again. That glare back in chapter one, the one she couldn't define. It didn't even seem like a glare, more like a…stare? A really intense one that didn't feel like it was meant to scare her. She tried looking away, but her eyes would always drift back to his. She offered a weak smile.

"H-Hi."

"Hey."

Even his voice sounded different. It sounded…husky. Maybe even a little strained. She could have been nervous all night long, except some girl walked up to her and stuck an accusing finger in her face.

It's a good thing too. He'd been ready to go, if you get what I mean.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! This is _my _date! I don't care if you are the birthday girl!"

Hinata blinked. She didn't know this girl. "But…But, I'm not…"

Itachi grabbed the strange girls arm roughly and pulled her away from Hinata. "I thought you said you were leaving."

The girl smiled. "Me? Leave? No, I know how much you want me to stay."

Itachi was growing irritated very quickly. "I'd actually prefer if you left. Now."

She glared at him, but did as she was told nonetheless. That's it; I don't feel like writing about the strange girl anymore.

Sasuke's arm tightened around Hinata's waist. He leaned in to her ear and whispered, "Do you want to dance?"

She shivered, her face burning. "I…um, I-I d-d-don't know how…"

She could feel the smirk on her ear. "I'll teach you."

Itachi pushed his brother off her. "Stop that."

Sasuke easily recaptured his balance and glared at him. "What's your problem? I was just asking her to dance."

Honestly, Itachi didn't know what was wrong with that. Except that it was Sasuke doing it to Hinata, and that just made it wrong. "Just leave her alone."

"She's my date."

Itachi almost, almost, betrayed himself and blinked. But many years of training had allowed him to keep his expression stoic. He even managed to keep the questioning tone out of his voice. "Your…date."

Sasuke nodded. "That's what I said."

Hinata blushed, but nodded too.

It would have been better if she had been Naruto's date. It would have been better if she hadn't gotten dressed up. It would have been better if she hadn't come. But it would have been perfect if…if…if she was his date.

But she wasn't. She was his brothers.

* * *

Shimi-chan: That's that. Also did this in one day. A long time, but still just a day. I'll probably look over this at least a hundred times before I post it, though. Hmm…I feel like this chapter sucks. I'll probably rewrite it. The party will go on in the next chapter. There are a lot of surprises in store, if reading that Itachi is actually interested wasn't enough. Be prepared for some Sakura on Hinata drama. (And, for you perverts out there, I mean conflict not girl on girl action.) 


	7. Chapter Six

Shimi-chan: I still have a lot to write for this story. Will I ever post my other stories? I haven't even started on my Gaara Hinata fic. Yes, I was serious about that. Sigh…Oh well, at least you all like this story.

Some of you all asked questions, so I will take this time to answer them all.

To NinaWilliamsSilentAssassin: (Shrugs sheepishly) I dunno. I had planned on putting make-up on her, but I'm not exactly a make-up wearing girl myself so I didn't know what to do. Though, I agree, unless it's Halloween, I wouldn't put foundation on Hinata. If you like, you could help me with that. Put it in a review and I'll edit the previous chapter and add it in there.

…That was really the only question. I thought there were more…Oh well. Anyone who wants to help with the above, can. If I get more than one suggestion, I'll choose the best.

* * *

Chapter Six:

Itachi drummed his fingers over the hard counter top impatiently, watching Hinata and the crowd she'd drawn from across the room. This was not as much fun as he'd… actually he'd never presumed it would be any fun at all. But he didn't think it would be so utterly irritating either. And what made this situation even more unbearable was that he didn't even know why he was so anxious. It's just that watching Hinata flirt with his brother was almost too much to bear. Was he going to do anything about it?

Hmm, that required some thought.

Sasuke hadn't planned it to go the way it had either. He honestly had no interest in Hinata when he'd asked her to be his date whatsoever. Not even an inkling. To be frank, he slightly disliked her. But then again, he'd never seen her like this before. He was after all, a teenager in the prime of puberty. And when hormones came knocking, there was not a man alive who could deny them the pleasure of flirting. Especially with a particularly bashful Hyuga, who just so happened to look extraordinarily good at the moment.

His own smirk was widening as he inwardly basked in the flustered effect he was having on Hinata. "Are you sure you don't want me to teach you to dance?"

By now she'd blushed so many times that she was sure she could cook something on her cheeks. "N-no th-tha-thank y-you, S-S-S-Sasuke-k-kun …"

And if things weren't worse enough for the shy Hyuga heiress, Sasuke wasn't the only one with his hormones on auto pilot that night.

"How about you ditch this loser and dance with me, Hinata-chan?" Naruto said grinning widely.

She blushed harder, if it were possible. "U-um, -I-I-I, um…I…"

Knowing she would actually do it, Sasuke switched to possessive mode. "Get lost, dobe. She's _my _date."

"So?! She obviously doesn't want to dance with you!"

"Th-That's not…I mean, I-I-I don-don't know h-h-how to…"

Forgetting the irritating kitsune, Sasuke lifted her face to his. "Then we'll wait for a slow song."

She blushed. (A sentence the writer shall be writing a lot.) "…"

Neji miraculously arrived to aid his apparently mute cousin. "Stop touching her like that. You're making her nervous, and you're making me pissed."

Why the hell was everyone interfering with this?! It was his birthday, damnit! He'd asked Hinata and she'd said yes. And that, as far as anyone knew, was that.

"N-N-Neji-kun, it-it's really o-o-okay."

Neji and Sasuke were both surprised to hear her say that.

"A-After all…I-I-I d-d-did say y-yes…"

Sasuke tried his very hardest not to smirk arrogantly, he really did, but he failed miserably.

"You mean it's true, Hinata?"

The voice was none other than Sakura's. She was shaking with anger, Ino holding her back.

"Just drop it Sakura!"

"No! I will not! After all we did for you! We _made _you!"

"Sakura!" Ino smiled apologetically at Hinata. "She didn't mean that."

"Yes I did! I can't believe you would ask Sasuke out after you knew we liked him."

Sasuke opened his mouth to defend her, but Hinata raised a hand to stop him. "Its…I'll handle this." She stood and approached Sakura. The whole room tensed.

"Wh-What about you? You knew…I mean, you knew I liked…"

Sakura had in now way calmed down. "That's completely different! I don't even like Naruto!"

"Sakura, leave her alone! She probably doesn't like Sasuke either!"

"I…Why d-don't you leave…? I don't think…I don't think Sasuke-kun w-wants any d-drama…"

Sakura growled and then threw her fist at Hinata's face. Acting on impulse, Hinata ducked the punch and slammed Sakura on the stomach with an open-palmed thrust. The impact, as well as the unexpectedness of the action, sent Sakura flying across the room.

As soon as Hinata had done it, she blinked. "Did I…??"

The guests were in a state of shock.

"Wow…Hinata…Where'd you learn to kick ass like _that?!"_

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to…"

Naruto grinned as he patted her back. "What are you talking about?! That was awesome!"

She blushed. "B-But, I…"

"Aw, forget about it. She got what was coming. Who did she steal from you Hinata-chan?"

"H-Huh?"

"You said she asked someone out even thought she knew you liked him. Who were you talking about?"

He really is very slow.

"N-No one…B-B-Besides, I-I didn't ask S-Sasuke-kun out…h-he asked m-me…"

"Hinata that was extremely inappropriate."

She turned toward the voice. "F-Father?"

He was standing there in all his old-man statue-like glory. "I didn't allow you to accept training from the Uchiha kid to use it on someone over nothing."

"B-But father…"

"No buts. I wish to speak with you privately."

Though extremely nervous, she nodded. "S-Sasuke-k-kun, c-can—"

"Sure, just hurry back."

She went out of the room with her father. When he felt they were sufficiently without any intruders, he turned to his daughter.

"I want you home."

She blinked. "Y-You…do…?"

"Your sister is very upset."

Oh, now it made sense.

Hinata, who had for a fleeting moment allowed herself to think he'd missed her, felt dejected. "I...I have not y-y-yet completed m-my training…"

Her father didn't even blink. "It matters little. Your sister thinks you left because of her."

"But…W-Why don't you j-just t-t-tell her I d-didn't…"

"We tried. She didn't believe us. You are going to come with me."

"I…I d-don't w-w-want to…"

"Why? Is what she says true? Do you really hate your sister so much?"

She shook her head. "N-No…"

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

"I-Itanii-san i-is still t-t-training m-me."

"And I just saw how well that was going."

She hesitated.

"You have until tomorrow to pack your bags and come back on your own. If you don't then I shall send Neji to pick you up. If all else fails, I'll go myself."

He turned and left a very hurt Hinata behind.

-

He searched easily above the heads of the party guests, looking for the dark blue hair he'd lost. Not to say he was climbing on top of chairs or calling out her name. No, he wouldn't put that much strain on himself. He was just glancing casually over the short people in the place looking for her.

God, he looked away for _one second _and suddenly she'd disappeared. Right after slamming the pink-haired kunoichi onto a wall, no less. That in itself was extremely uncharacteristic of her, but that didn't stop the smirk from forming on Itachi's lips when she'd done it. It turned out he wasn't training her for nothing.

But when he'd stopped being proud and looked back to acknowledge her, she was gone. She was nowhere within the crowd that had been there mere moments ago. He'd even spotted his brother, but she wasn't with him either. So now he was drinking in large chugs while glancing carelessly around whenever he could. Drumming his fingers so hard (not to mention for so damn long) that he's probably break them before the night was over.

Finally she comes back into the room, but she looked miserable. She went up to Sasuke, whispered something in his ear that made him turn serious. He nodded, and she went to say what seemed to be 'goodbye' to everyone so she could go home.

She glimpsed in his direction and locked eyes with him. She looked like she wanted to cry, but at least she wasn't actually doing it. He tried to soften his stare, but it came out in a glare anyway. He'd tried, right? But weakness was weakness and he couldn't get over that.

Suddenly, the power came off.

Hinata clutched the skirt of her dress for a moment, surprised by the abrupt obscurity, yelping not quite as loudly as some of the other guests. She sighed the quick pace of her heart out of her body and turned to leave before being grabbed at the arm by someone and yanked forward.

The next instant she was in someone's tight embrace. Warm, labored breath was felt on her lips, sending heat to her face and the quick beat she'd gotten rid of mere moments ago was back. She was about to question who it was before the warm breath was replaced by warm lips. Her eyes widened at the unwanted gesture as she tried to fight the stranger off, but to no avail. Then, just as soon as the man had come, he was gone, leaving Hinata standing perplexed and mortified.

The lights came back on.

There was no one in front of her.

Hinata tried to steady her beating heart, but it was not nearly as easy this time. She stood, just staring ahead of herself for the longest time, before being snapped out of her trance by Kiba. She took one last look around before saying her final goodbye's and going back to the Uchiha house to pack.

-

Oh shit, shit, shit, _shit._ Why the fuck did he just _do_ that?! He ran a hand through his hand as he tried to steady his heart. His heart was beating quicker than normal. _His heart was beating quicker than normal. _When the fuck had that started happening?! Did he have a fucking heart condition?! Or maybe he was mentally retarded for doing…_that._And she'd tried to fight him off.

Did he really blame her? She hadn't known who it was. Or maybe she had. Which one would be worse? He wasn't entirely sure. And that!! Since when had he not been entirely sure about everything?! Who was she to come and disrupt his life?!

Oh shit, why the fuck did he _do_ that?

* * *

Shimi-chan: So…What do you think? And...forgive the language. It just seemed to suit best. 


	8. Chapter Seven

Shimi-chan: You know what bugs me? People who start sentences with 'I can't stand people who…' Why don't you save us all some time and just straight out tell us _who _you're talking about? Because we all know this: 'I can't stand people who…' leads to this: 'like that girl/guy…'

Ok, now my reviews.

Kichou, yes I put Hanabi into a sisterly role. Since there is no actual extensive reports on Hanabi's personality, I figured I could have a field day with it. She comes out later.

NinaWilliamsSilentAssassin, that sounds do-able. Actually it makes sense. See, I know nothing of that sort of thing. At all. I was raised by my brothers (practically) so it's not my forte. Thanks for your help, I'll make sure I change it!

To everyone who was wondering who the mystery kisser was: It was a rapist that just happened to be there. No, just kidding…I won't tell. Hee. It was designed to be that way. You'll all figure it out eventually.

To those of you that figured it out: You're too smart for your own good. Just don't tell anyone. You know who you are.

Oh, sorry. Nina, I tried to change that make up thing but my compuer was acting up and it wouldn't let me download another file. I'll try to do it again later, but for right now, I'll just put this.

* * *

Chapter Seven: 

Her eyes were red that morning. The whole room was silent, unsure of how to comfort the broken young lady, but she ignored their silence and ate her breakfast slowly.

The party was over. The merriment was over. And Hinata was leaving today. But no one had seen her pack her bags. No one had seen her cry. No one had even seen her come home.

But she was here, her suitcase was at the door, and there were puffy red bags under her eyes. No one had seen her do anything, but everyone knew they'd been done. Finally, after having begun the morning with silence, it proved too much for Fugaku.

"Today's the last day of the Konoha carnival."

No one replied. No one even looked up.

He cleared his throat. "Why don't you all go?"

They all looked up at him with the same blank expression.

He went right on smiling, hoping his own good cheer would have some kind of effect.

"We don't feel like going," Sasuke said, in representation for all of them.

"But it may be fun! It would also be a good last day for Hinata!"

"Fugaku!" Mikoto said chastingly ( this is not a word. But it sounds like one.), before placing a comforting hand on Hinata's. "It may be fun, Hinata. I'm sure the boys would agree to go with you."

Hinata glanced down at the hand, then at Mikoto with broken eyes. She sighed, offering a weak smile, but nodded nonetheless.

Fugaku grinned. "Excellent! Boys, you wouldn't mind escorting Hinata, would you?"

Neither had an objection.

"Excellent," Fugaku repeated. "Then it's settled! Why don't you all get ready now?"

All three young shinobi pulled away from the table and sluggishly walked to their appropriate room s to get ready for the 'best day ever.'

Yip-fucking-ee.

-

Before they could lose their will, they were at the carnival in Konoha. It was packed with screaming children and the smell of food that probably wasn't even edible. Both things bothered the Uchiha brothers, but it seemed to interest Hinata, who had never before been to a carnival. Try as she might, she couldn't retain her previous feelings of depression. Didn't she have a right to enjoy herself?

Before long she was like one of the many children there, pointing at random things and staring at the attractions. The other two mostly followed behind, not finding any particularly interesting thing, but seeing no reason to stop Hinata's rampage either. That is, until they got to _it._

The 'Demon Fox.'

Said to be the biggest ride in any carnival, and the moment the group saw it, they all had entirely different reactions. Sasuke and Itachi wanted to ride it. They really did. But the moment Hinata lay eyes on the screaming metal death trap, she paled.

Even so, Itachi made the dreaded suggestion. "Why don't we go on that one?"

Hinata was still staring at it wide-eyed. "W-Well…"

"We don't have to," Sasuke stated.

Itachi, noticing Hinata's discomfort, conceded. "Fine. We'll just go on it next year, I guess."

They'd both started to move on before Hinata timidly whispered, "W-Well…W-Why _don't _w-w-we go o-o-on it…"

The two exchanged glances, then looked at Hinata, then exchanged glances again. And unfortunately for Hinata, you didn't need to tell them twice. It was a good thing the line wasn't that long otherwise Hinata may have lost her nerve before she was even in a chair. But she had no chance, for it wasn't long before she was being strapped into the Demon Fox. The moment the little metal bar came down, Hinata gripped it so tightly her knuckles turned white…er.

"You don't have to go on this, you know…"

"N-N-No i-i-i-it's r-r-r-really ok-kay."

And that was that. The Demon Fox started up the hill slowly, painfully slowly, and when they were at the top, Hinata knew her life was over.

When the ride came to a screeching halt at the bottom -after going through many loops and dives- Hinata could be seen at the front (a position both Uchiha's had insisted upon) with her eyes tightly shut while gripping the metal bar for dear life. The ride operator that came to let her off had to pry her hands off the bar, and when he had they were shaking.

"Ma'am…? Are you alright?"

She nodded with a shocked expression on her face. He stared at her strangely before moving on to the next car.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" Sasuke started.

That is, before Hinata broke out into a shy grin. "N-No…That was actually fun! In a suicidal kind of way…"

Sasuke chuckled. Itachi smirked. Hinata smiled timidly.

The next thing on the list was some games. But that quickly got boring, and the game directors had to keep kicking them out, for with their superior shinobi skill they were clearing out the prize wall. So they began walking around aimlessly, chatting casually, before they spotted the fun house. Or, some might call it, house of mirrors.

"Wh-What's that?"

Sasuke glanced at it. "Oh, that's the fun house. It's kind of boring."

She looked disappointed. "Oh…"

"…But I guess we could go on it."

She smiled. "Really?!"

"Hell no," Itachi said. "That shit is boring as hell. Trust me, you're not missing out on anything. Besides, it's closed."

"We could make it more interesting," Sasuke said.

"Really, smartass? Like how?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe we could…"

"…p-play…hide and seek?"

The looked at her with eyebrows raised.

She blushed. "I-I'm sorry! Th-that was a s-s-stupid idea! It's just…I never played that before…"

Really, how do you say no to _that_?

So they all snuck on it. And it did get a lot more interesting when the three shinobi started to use their ninjutsu to aid their game. It was a test of skill, and we all know how the Uchiha brothers just love showing off their skill.

Almost needless to say, Hinata was the first on found in their game. Sasuke had snuck up behind her and tapped her on the waist, where she unexpectedly laughed.

He lifted a brow.

"S-Sorry, Sasuke-kun…b-b-but I'm really ticklish…"

He smirked slowly. "Is that so?"

"Sasuke-kun…d-don't…"

But that kind of knowledge is too hard to pass up. He poked her again casually, though amusement flickered in his eyes when she giggled while trying unsuccessfully to put distance between herself and him. In a matter of seconds, she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

All this noise made them easy enough to find for Itachi. When he came upon the scene, he lifted a brow.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Hinata was laughing too hard to reply, and Sasuke just too indifferent to his brother.

"Someone answer me."

No reply, just Hinata's laughter.

He was growing annoyed. "Cut it out, you two, right now."

Not going to happen.

Itachi, in his blind rage, slammed the wall beside him in emphasis. "Shut the hell up!"

Now, for those of you who don't remember, they're in the house of mirrors. The house of very _fragile_ mirrors. The impact of his hit made a chain reaction occur that started with a loud crack. _That _shut Hinata from her laughter immediately. Still in shock, they watched the crack spread like leprosy throughout the rest of the mirrors.

"Oh _shit_ let's get the hell out of here!"

The three disappeared in a puff of smoke, landing far enough where they could see the entire house crumble as a bunch of people stood around it and stared. Hinata couldn't help but gape, but the two Uchiha men exchanged amused glances.

Such sadistic bastards…

-

When they finally arrived back at the house, long after the house of mirrors incident, Neji was in the living room with Mikoto and Fugaku, practically pulling his hair out from irritation. Hinata saw him first and smiled.

"N-Neji-kun!"

Upon the sound of his cousin's voice, Neji's face lit up. He immediately excused himself from the endless conversation and went to hug his cousin in gratitude. He noticed he things in her arms.

"What the hells all this?"

"I went to the carnival!" she said, sounding like a little girl bragging about getting a gold start on a test.

He smiled at his cousin's excitement. "That's good. We have to go now, Hinata."

Her face turned solemn. "Actually…I'm n-not going."

The whole room was surprised.

"What do you mean you're not going?"

"I…I th-though about it a-a lot…He's never s-s-satisfied. When I didn't…know how to fight, he w-w-was mad…and when I l-learned, h-he's still mad…I can't take it. I'm not going until I'm the b-b-best there is…"

Neji gave her a pitying stare. "Hinata…I'm sorry, but—"

"No. _I-I'm _sorry, Neji-kun, b-but…I have to…stand up for myself."

He fell silent.

"I'm not going," she repeated with finality.

Sighing, he nodded. "You're going to get me in deep shit for this, Hinata."

"I-I'm sorry…"

He smiled. "Don't be. It's about time you learned to defend yourself."

She smiled and nodded.

Neji turned politely to the elders of the house. He bowed. "I hope you don't mind. Hinata would like to stay."

Fugaku nodded with a serious expression. "Okay."

Neji gave his cousin a hug good-bye and left.

Hinata hugged her bear to herself silently before sighing. "M-my father's going to come…"

Fugaku nodded again. "I know. It doesn't matter; I have no intention of putting you out in the street."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Itachi came and patted her affectionately on the head. "So you're staying for good?"

She nodded.

"You know that means I'm intensifying your training."

She nodded smilingly.

He smirked. "Good. Let's all get some sleep."

"What a corny way to end the chapter…" Sasuke muttered.

Itachi turned irately to his brother. "What'd you say?!"

He shrugged. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

Shimi-chan: It took me two days to write this chapter…Sigh Oh well, it doesn't matter. I only just posted chapter one before finishing this, so whatever. 


	9. Chapter Eight

Shimi-chan: Itachi, Itachi, Itachi…why art thou so harsh? Not in this chapter… (Grins) I finally thought of a theme for this chapter, and it's good. But, believe it or not, it's not the turning point of the story. Not even close… (Grins) keep reading…

I am _so _evil. Can't help it.

**Thank you for all who reviewed!! **

The carnival thing was just this idea that kinda popped out at me…That chapter was basically a filler. For comic relief.

As for the ending, sorry! Corny-ness is not my something that I like. I actually cringe at Full House reruns. And sometimes when I watch Pokemon and a particularly corny scene comes up, I have to change. So I made Sasuke say that so that I could live with myself. Lol.

Miss0made: Wow. You pegged the characters before I had an opportunity to try. But, yes, now that I re-read my stuff, you're right! Wonder why it turned out that way…? Well, thanx for your review! Oh, and, besides Sheikra being scary, was it fun??? Cuz I was thinking that I may want to ride it…

I better wrap this up. (Looks over shoulder nervously) Those bunnies and kitty's just won't leave me alone! I'm sorry it took so long, damnit! OOOWWW! Quit biting!!! Argh…

* * *

Chapter Eight:

It seemed that finally standing up for herself gave Hinata a brand new source of confidence. She was still herself, of course, and people don't change overnight. So Hinata was still shy, and she still stuttered and paused within her conversations. But her actions were definitely more forward and she carried herself with pride.

They say pride comes before the fall.

Even though she was so obviously happier living with the Uchiha's than she had ever been at home, she was still anxiously awaiting the visit from her father she was hoping would come. He had to, just _had _to come. It would mean he cared just a little. But he didn't come. He didn't even re-send Neji. He just…left her.

And thus came the fall.

Itachi had not been joking when he'd said he would intensify their training. Apparently, she'd moved past the defense and went on to offense. Of course, when Hinata had first received the news she had been ecstatic. Who wouldn't be? She'd moved up! But she quickly learned that with the good there was always tenfold bad. Higher level meant higher expectations, meant higher work amount, meant higher stress factor.

On about the fourth training session since she'd 'graduated' Itachi could just about wring her precious little neck with all the progress she was making. She hadn't been able to land on punch on him, not even a skim. He didn't even have to dodge her. Just blocking was sufficient, since he had her on taijutsu. It was killing him to have to put up with her deficiencies. And when something was killing him, something had to be killed by him.

So, anyway, the fourth session. Try as she might, and she did try, Itachi was simply too fast and she couldn't even scratch him with taijutsu alone. Hell, she couldn't even _tickle _him (cause he'd not ticklish.) With or without her byakyugan. She'd tried with both. All her fears, like being left by her father, they were only reawakened when she failed at anything so miserably…which she always did. Itachi knew this, of course. So he thought of a little plan…

He was casually moving his arm to block her 'attacks' when the thought occurred to him, and he put it to effect immediately. "Maybe your father was right."

She stopped mid-punch, for it was not like him to speak during training sessions. "W-What do y-you m-m-mean, Itanii-san?"

He got out of his stance, seemingly lowering his guard. "He said you were un-trainable…and maybe he was right."

"N-No…I'll get it, I-I promise…"

"We've been drilling this for days, Hinata. Maybe your sister could get it faster."

"That's…that's not t-true…"

"That's assuming she doesn't already have it. I mean, she is fairly superior to you."

"S-stop it…That's not…"

"Maybe I should just go train a rock."

Hinata blindly rushed him, but he was prepared for it. Summoning her byakyugan, she attempted to punch him in the stomach, but he blocked it easily. She wasted no time in addressing her failure, instead going for a kick to the face, which marked the first time Itachi had to dodge. He smirked.

"You're going to have to do better than—"

He was caught by surprise when Hinata appeared behind him and punched his lower back, closing a chakra opening. He moved swiftly to counter her attack, but when he turned around she was blocking her head with a glassy-eyed stare. He stopped himself before he could actually hurt her, but quickly grew annoyed with at her tears. When he'd stopped his attack and actually lowered his guard Hinata uncharacteristically smiled and open-palmed his stomach, causing him to lose his breath.

"'Never lower your guard around an opponent.' Right, Itanii-san?"

He was suddenly behind her, holding a kunai to her neck, grinning. "Right."

She blanched, but he didn't hold her there long before letting her go.

"Let's take a break, Hinata. You're improving."

She didn't seem as happy as she should've been. "…Really?"

He lifted a brow. "Well, don't sound so excited.

"O-Oh, s-sorry!"

He shrugged. "Let's just go…"

Hinata went directly to her room to 'take a nap,' or so she told Itachi. He didn't think much of it, since she'd need her rest for their later session anyways. If anything, the fact that she was smart enough to get said rest meant she'd improved mentally as well as physically.

Not to say he took a nap. He didn't need one, he was Itachi. He was like a demon that never slept, and never ate, and never…oh wait, that might be exaggerating a _little. _He ate and slept. Oh, but he really is a demon.

By the time afternoon rolled around (Their first training session is early in the morning) he went over to wake Hinata. He stopped in front of the room to knock on her door, but paused when he heard sniffles coming from within. He sighed, aggravated. Did she ever stop complaining? He was about to barge in when he heard her talking to herself.

"H-He didn't even come…"

He lifted a brow before pressing his ear to the door to hear better.

"I-I-Itanii-san w-w-was r-right," she said sobbingly, "m-my sister i-is better…"

His heart lurched. Um, I mean, it didn't lurch. It couldn't have, Itachi has no feelings! But whatever it did or did not do, it was because of her words. Normally, when Hinata cried he'd get pissed at her for resorting to such weakness. But this time was different, because this time he'd been the cause.

He really had meant well when he'd said those things to her, really he had. But now it didn't seem like such a good idea. God, he's never actually made her _cry _before. He'd come close a lot of times, but the one thing he'd never done is compare her to her sister. How could he not have known that was her biggest fear?

Sighing roughly while raking a hand through his hair, he entered the room.

Hinata gasped as she looked up with swelled eyes. "I-I-Itanii-san!"

He was _going _to apologize, but seeing her like that…actually, it reminded him of Sakura's slumber party. Her face glowing from the trail of tears she'd left, looking at him with such an innocent look. It was bugging the hell out of him, and yet…well, in a way, it was like trying to get mad a baby for crying.

That's right, it was hopeless.

He didn't even try to talk; they just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before the silence proved to be too much for Hinata.

"I-Itanii-san! I-I'm sorry, is it time t-t-to train??" She wiped her eyes and smiled bogusly. "U-Um, I g-g-guess I should…"

He didn't say anything. Just stared in that way that was becoming so common. Damn Sakura and her stupid party.

Hinata started fidgeting with herself for a while, waiting for him to say anything, do anything, but he didn't. "I-I-Itanii-san?"

No reaction, which only made Hinata even more nervous. Eventually, she took his silence as her cue to leave. Standing up ever so cautiously, she made her way to the door in a way that made it seem like he would attack her if she went too fast. With reason. When she'd stepped past him, he grabbed her arm and yanked her back.

But he didn't yell at her, hit her, or even scold her, the things Hinata had expected him to do. Instead he pulled her to himself and crushed her in a hug that rivaled his fathers. She blinked in complete shock, not able to believe that this was Itachi. She didn't try to fight him off; she was too surprised to do much of anything.

"…I-Itanii-san…?"

He growled angrily, squeezing her for a moment. "Stop calling me that."

"B-But…I've always c-called you that…"

"That was before. That was different. Things are different now…"

"Ita…Itachi…?"

God, why did his name sound so much more melodic when she said it? What the hell was wrong with him? Did he even really care?

"I…Ita…um, I don't…understand…a-are you…mad at me…?"

Much to even his own surprise, he began stroking her head affectionately. "No, I'm not."

She almost wanted to cry. But if he wasn't mad at her now, crying would surely change that. "T-Then…?"

He pulled her away from him gently and lowered his face so it was inches away from hers. "Hinata…"

Her heart skipped a beat. Then another.

"We're not really related, Hinata. You know that."

She grew disheartened. "…I know…"

"That's not what I meant," he amended quickly when he noticed her mood change. "I just meant…"

"Itanii-s—um, I m-mean, Itachi—"

"We're not tied by blood." He said, effectively cutting her off.

Hinata blinked, too shocked to finish her sentence. Too shocked to _remember _her sentence. "I…Itachi…what do y-you m-m-mean?"

He stared at her a moment. "…Nothing. No more training today. Sorry I said all those things, I didn't think you'd cry about it."

He released her and walked casually out of the room, as if he'd done nothing. But the moment he left her room and the door was closed, he sighed heavily. He was so messed up. He raked a hand tiredly through his hair, and walked to his room in a way that made Shikamaru look like the most active person in the world.

--

Hinata thought over his words, looking for the loophole that would make it make sense. There was none. No matter how many times she went over it in her head, it still had the same effect. Her heart would quicken, her face would heat up, and thinking of anything else would become as impossible as trying to commit suicide by jumping out of a one-story window.

What had he meant? He couldn't possibly have meant what she thought he had. No, not Itachi. Not possible. Not even remotely possible. But he'd said it.

_Itachi…_ she mused in her head.

It suddenly _did_ sound much better than 'Itanii-san.'

* * *

Shimi-chan: Sup, all? Hope you enjoyed this little episode. (Grins) More action is to come…(Cackles evilly) 


	10. Chapter Nine

Shimi-chan: (Laughs) Wow, I have some pretty cool reviewers. Thefullygirlalchemist, since you asked, they're fine. You know what? Red is my favorite color. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and look at the red in their eyes, and it'll soothe me back to sleep. Then one of them will come and bite me on the foot and I'll remember just how scary and man-eating they truly are. Ah well…they're eating all of our food, so I'm hoping that posting this early will make them go away.

Kichou, you know I went to your profile and read some of your stories. You're good! I'm not kidding, I've read your work before, but I didn't check the author. I'm glad I went, your stories are awesome! My favorite is Because Sasuke Only Means Sasuke To You. So cute!

Hinata6, I guess I wasn't clear enough. Let me try to explain: he said 'We're not tied by blood' or to put it simpler 'There's nothing stopping us from being more.' Get it? If not let me know and I'll try again.

NinaWilliamsSilentAssasin, I literally just read your review. (Laughs) I like how Itachi flirts too. Hee, wait till you read this chapter…

Acho0bl3ssU, of course he made the first move. He was getting horny. Just kidding.

LilyInTheValley, I'm glad you think that Itachi is in character. Sometimes I wonder if I maybe went too far…But as long as you are satisfied, I think I'm doing it right.

KagomeMarie, ok. I'll update. But just this once.

Vigorean-Asakura, I'm glad you liked it! Here's more.

Nyeko, here you are: an update!

JasperSapph, I actually made you blush! That means that I'm good at detail! I though I would suck at that kind of thing…Thanks for the review!

Akuma de soro, I like your penname, very original. (Laughs) I laughed at your review. As you can see. Prepare for many more assy-dad moments.

Kibagaaralover18, thanks. I appreciate it.

Lady Rin-San, I'm glad I got you into it! I got into it by accident. But none of the stories were satisfying me (which isn't to say there weren't any good ones). It's just that they either had to make Itachi too nice or Hinata too forward. So I had to write one.

Lonniet84, Thank you for reviewing!

Live2die, thank you! Such compliments I feel I do not deserve! Thanks for the luck, I'll save it for when I need it.

I think that's everyone. It's not everyday that I reply to all my reviewers. I usually just reply to the questions. But I had time before work (I JUST GOT A JOB!!!) so I though I could.

* * *

Chapter Nine:

Avoidance: the act of avoiding or to keep away from. A very common thing to do when you've done something potentially embarrassing in front of someone you like, or even someone you hate. The very thing that discontinued any form of communication Hinata and Itachi had previously had.

It was a very cold morning, enough so that even with all the doors and windows closed and the air conditioner off, the house was still chilly. Heaters, according to Fugaku, were a waste of money since they could probably tough out the cold anyway. On that morning the subject of the two 'lovebirds' (as Fugaku saw them) finally came up.

"Have you noticed that Hinata and Itachi haven't been talking lately?"

"They're training now, aren't they?" Sasuke stated in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

"Yes, but…I don't know, they just don't seem to be getting along anymore. Are you saying you haven't noticed?"

"No, I haven't."

Fugaku turned his attentions from his pessimistic son to his wife. "How about you?"

Mikoto thought for a moment, before conceding in a nod. "Actually, yes. Why, just the other day I mentioned Hinata's name while talking to Itachi and he slammed the wall and walked away!"

Fugaku nodded. "Hinata reacted similarly. When I asked her how training was going with Itachi, she couldn't answer from stuttering so much. She's not usually so shy with me…"

Mikoto and Fugaku exchanged worried glances while discussing what could possibly be wrong.

As if on cue, Itachi and Hinata entered the kitchen, having completed their training. His parents instantly quieted upon their arrival, casting the two worried looks. Though he tried to ignore them, their blatant staring soon got on Itachi's nerves.

"What?!"

Both his parents seemed to start at his snappish tone.

"…How was your training?" Fugaku asked casually.

"_Fine_." Itachi gritted.

"Did you improve today, Hinata-chan?" Mikoto questioned.

"Y-Yes, I think so."

Silence.

"So…How was the weather today?"

"Mom and dad want to know if you two are fighting," Sasuke stated abruptly.

"Sasuke!" both Fugaku and Mikoto reprimanded.

Sasuke shrugged heedlessly. "You guys were beading around the bush so much it was getting annoying."

His parents didn't bother pursuing the subject in favor of pursuing the much more interesting one. They all looked at the two shinobi to witness their reactions. Itachi was glaring daggers at his younger brother while Hinata hid her face in her hands to mask her embarrassment.

More silence.

"Well, are you?" Fugaku asked impatiently.

Itachi growled. "I don't see how it would be any of your fucking business."

"They are," the room echoed in unison.

Itachi growled once more and heat rushed to Hinata's face. Instantly recognizing the murderous intent in his son's eyes, Fugaku quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, Hinata, before I forget to ask. Your birthday isn't much farther from Sasuke's, is it?"

"N-No."

"When is it?"

"A-Actually, i-it's n-next week…" She blushed. "B-But I d-d-don't w-want a p-p-party!"

Fugaku shook his head. "No, no, I didn't mean anything like that. How old are you turning?"

Hinata fidgeted for a moment. "S-Sixteen…"

Fugaku's face became solemn at hearing that bit of news. "Your father should be coming today."

Hinata's eyes widened. "M-my…? I-if I m-may ask…w-what for?"

Fugaku's somber stare was making Hinata nervous. "You'll figure it out when he gets here."

_That _didn't sound good.

But Hinata wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know anyway. More importantly, she went to the topic first addressed. It must have been pretty obvious that Itachi and she weren't getting along. But they weren't fighting. At least…she didn't think…

Itachi left abruptly, bringing Hinata out of her deep thought. She glimpsed at his disappearing back worriedly, debating whether or not she should confront him. Glancing once more at the Uchiha's in the kitchen –which had moved on to more interesting topics—she opted for chasing after Itachi.

"Itani—um, I mean, Itachi-sensei…"

He regarded her carelessly over his shoulder and lifted a brow expectantly.

She instantly lost her nerve. She'd wanted to ask him if they _were _fighting, but when he looked at her so…indifferently…she just lost her nerve.

Instead, she said "U-Um…a-a-about t-training l-later—"

"Cancelled," he said simply.

She blinked. "B-But…Wh-why?"

"Your father's coming. He might be coming to check up on your progress, and if so, more training would be pointless. Your best bet is to try and look as best as possible."

And with those taunting words, he left her.

--

He felt like SUCH. A. _DICK. _She'd just been asking an innocent question, and he had to snap at her like that. Hadn't his overactive mouth been what had gotten him in this trouble in the first place? Sighing as he raked an aggravated hand through his tired hair, he plopped himself on his bed.

Hinata's words echoed in his head. 'Itachi-sensei' she'd called him. That wasn't what he wanted; it didn't sound as good as plain old Itachi. What, did she not like his name or something? Did she always have to add something to it for it to sound good to her?

But he couldn't be mad at her. Not after treating her so, not after tormenting her so much. His keen senses had in no way missed how she avoided him ever since the whole incident. He sighed, as he came to the realization he'd been coming to so many times that month.

He didn't deserve her.

When the alien thought forced itself into his head, he instantly went tense. Didn't deserve her…? Did he really believe that? He grew angry at his own conscious coming out now of all times. He did deserve her! Not that he wanted her…but if he had…aw, fuck it!

Angry and yet resolute, Itachi pounded a fist into his open palm. He _did _deserve her. It was she that didn't deserve him. He smirked. That was okay.

She could have him anyway.

--

Some time later, after taking a short nap, Itachi emerged from his room to find the entire family—except Hinata—in the living room…playing video games. Itachi's brows twitched at the sight of his father and brother in a raging war over who would make it to the end first while Mikoto cheered them both on. He watched them a while, twitching brow and all, until it proved too much for him.

"Where's Hinata?"

All three looked over their shoulders.

"Good afternoon son!" Fugaku chimed loudly.

Itachi grunted as his only reply. "Where's Hinata?" he repeated.

Fugaku was too concentrated on defeating Sasuke to read too much into his question. "She went to her room a while ago," he elbowed his son, giving him an instant lead, "Said she had to go take a nap."

Itachi growled, walking out and toward her room. '_She'd better not be crying again,' _he thought darkly to himself. He arrived at her door to find it closed. Sliding it open slowly, on the off chance that she actually _was _taking a nap, he peeked inside. And, what do you know; there she was on her bed. Asleep.

And shivering.

He was extremely irritated to see no blanket on her. Did she have a death wish or was she just stupid? Hmm…probably both. Chuckling lightly at his own internal joke (cuz he's weird that way), he went into the closet within the room to get her a blanket. When he saw none, he sighed irritably. He glanced back at her only to find that her shivering had intensified.

Actually, she looked kind of funny and even…cute? Her peaceful face indicated that she was sleeping nicely, but her body was shivering so much just looking at her made the room seem colder. It was like her body couldn't keep up with her mind. He chuckled silently to himself, though it came out much fonder than the first.

'_I should probably get some blankets from another room…' _he thought to himself. But he didn't really feel like going anywhere just to come back. In fact…he grinned mischievously. At the moment, he sort of felt like taking another nap.

So, his decision being made, he scooted Hinata over on the bed before crawling into it himself.

--

"_You are useless," he taunted. As if she didn't already know it. _

_Tears welled in her eyes as she felt herself sink lower into the ground. "N-No, I'm n-not…"_

_But the bantering didn't stop. Her father continued to look at her with such blatant disappointment until the things around him started to fade._

_Suddenly, it wasn't her father and she wasn't at home. Neji stood before her in his fighting stance and she recognized her surroundings as the place they'd held the prelims for the Chuunin exams. _

"_C-Cousin Neji?"_

"_People can't change."_

_She blinked, trying to make the hurt in her soul evident in her eyes. "N-Neji-nii, I—"_

"_You were destined to fade into the back round."_

_She attempted a yell of denial, but his words hit with such impact that only a whimper came out._

"_That's not true!"_

_Hinata's eyes widened at the unidentified growl. _

"_People can change. Hinata will prove that."_

_Someone believing in her? Her heart warmed at the mere prospect of it being true. Then, just as quickly as her father had gone, so did Neji, leaving her alone with what she expected to be a certain blonde kitsune. She turned to witness her savior, but when her eyes met his all breath was stolen from her lungs._

_Standing there and staring back at her was none other than Itachi Uchiha._

Hinata's eyes shot open. The only thing that kept her from yelping in surprise was the fact that she could scarcely breathe at the moment. What the hell was _that_?? How many times had she had that dream? Except, when she'd had them previously, it was always Naruto that saved her. What was Itachi (sensei) doing in her dreams? Hinata slowly calmed herself enough to slow her breathing.

It was just a dream. She'd probably never have it again, it probably meant nothing. Actually, it was most likely the cold that made her have such a dream. Wait…the cold…it wasn't cold anymore.

Hinata didn't realize she'd been shutting her eyes until she opened them. She could barely see anything in the darkened room, but she noticed one thing instantly. It wasn't cold. Hadn't it been cold when she went to sleep? It had, she remembered. There had also been no blanket, but she'd been feeling too lazy to go and get one. Her eyes closed to the warmth as she snuggled closer to the source.

There was a…pillow? It was beside her with its arms wrapped around her. Arms? When did pillows grow arms? She furrowed her brows in confusion before opening her eyes again to inspect her 'pillow.' She could see nothing but a dark cloth some would call a shirt. But it couldn't be a shirt. Pillows didn't wear shirts, only people wore…wait minute…

Slowly, almost timidly, Hinata raised her head to look into the face of her intruder. She sucked in a sharp breath.

"Itachi," she murmured.

He opened an eye and glanced boredly at her. Slowly, his lips curved into a groggy smile. "It sounds like you're getting the hang of it."

She screamed. Loud.

Being instantly—and forcefully, he might add—dragged from his groggy state he immediately jumped up and rubbed his ears painfully. He growled.

"What the hell was that about?!"

Hinata brought her arms around her chest in a vain attempt at hiding her body from his eyes (despite the fact that she was fully clothed). She stared at him in shock, a blush evident in her face. "Get…"

"'Get'…?" Lifting a brow, Itachi took a step forward.

Big mistake.

She grabbed her pillow (yes Hinata, grab the softest thing possible, that should help) and threw it at him roughly. "G-Get out!" she yelled.

Itachi easily ducked the offending pillow, but the mere action was enough to anger him. "Hinata, calm down, you—"

Another pillow, another shout, another dodge.

It wasn't long before Hinata ran out of pillows (she only has two) and started throwing other things. Her alarm clock. Her socks. Her shoes. She'd reached for her bras, but instantly blushed and instead grabbed her kunai. And she was screaming all the while for him to leave. He dodged her every 'weapon' but he was angry she was reacting so strongly to his only _laying _with her. He's only been trying to keep her warm. She should be thanking him, damnit!

"Shut up, Hinata, the whole goddamn house can hear you!"

She didn't heed his advice, leaving him no choice but to heed hers. He left the room in an angered huff.

As soon as her door slammed shut, Hinata fought to calm her beating heart. Things were getting weird. First he said that…that…_thing _to her, then he appeared in her dream, and now she awoke to being held by him.

'_Wha…What's going on…?'_

She half hoped half expected to see Fugaku jump out of the closet and tease her over her reaction. It had to be some kind of trick, Itachi couldn't have simply…crawled into bed with…her…She blushed and buried her bashful face in her hands before releasing a scream. When she'd gotten over that, she laid her head in her knees.

Just how did she feel about Itachi anyway? Up until recently, he'd been nothing short of a brother to her. But lately…just looking at him sent heat to her face. Was that normal? Was she sick? She could only hope so. She looked over to her counter top to see the time, only to find her alarm clock missing. She vaguely remembered throwing it across the room and instantly jumped off her bed, hoping she'd caused it no harm. Thankfully, when she picked it off the ground, there were still big red bold numbers staring at her.

8:00P.M.

Sighing, she went over to the bathroom to prepare herself for her father's arrival.

--

What the hell was _that _about?! What right did she have to kick him out of _his _room?! After all, this was _his _house, meaning its contents were his too! Meaning, technically, she was his too!

Okay, maybe that's exaggerating a little…but still!! He was _helping _her! Couldn't she see that?! Was she really so dense?! And to yell at him of all things! Throwing he could take, it wasn't as if her 'weapons' would have hurt much even if they had caught him, but yelling was a pure sign of disrespect.

"That stupid bitch," he muttered, ignoring the fact that saying it tasted sour to his tongue..

Why had he crawled in the bed anyway? He could have easily gone to get her a blanket. She would've been just as warm. But he'd decided to sleep with her. Why? And, lately, he'd wanted to do it. So far he'd kissed her twice, but both times got disregarded by her. The first was at that goddamn, mother fucking, annoying-as-hell slumber party that the stupid, ugly, bitch-of-a-slut Sakura had thrown. The second was at that outplayed, over-worked, stupid fucking party that idiotic, annoying, dumb ol' Sasuke had thrown. How many times did he have to do it for the message to play out?

He sighed. When had he even _wanted _the message to play out? He didn't like Hinata…or at least he wasn't supposed to. No, no, he _didn't. _He longed for simpler times, when she was a sister and nothing else. But those times were gone, and he might as well get used to that.

--

Hours. That's how long Fugaku and Hiashi had been in the master bedroom. Hinata, Itachi, Sasuke and even Mikoto were waiting in the living room, as instructed by the two elders, for something that they didn't even know they would want. Mikoto seemed to know exactly what was going on, but she dispersed no information.

Hinata fidgeted with herself uncomfortably. Her father was there, and yet he'd said nothing to her. He hadn't even acknowledged her. He'd just come and locked himself in the room with Fugaku. The soft murmurs of their voices could be made out, but no words were able to be heard by the small group outside the room. Was he here to take her home? She didn't want to go. Even with things so uncomfortable with her and Itachi (sensei), she still wanted to stay and learn more. She was improving, she just knew she was.

But having her father there was taking its toll on her. She started to tear up at the thought of leaving behind the Uchiha's and their comforting presence.

"It's probably nothing," Sasuke's voice broke into her thoughts.

She blinked and looked at him.

"You're just like mom. You don't even _try _to hide when you're worried, do you?"

She blushed. "I-I'm s-sorry Sasuke-kun…"

He shrugged. "He may actually just be here to check your progress."

She remained silent, but she seriously doubted him.

"Even if he is here to take you back," he continued, "it's not like dad would simply let you go without a fight. It's probably why they've been in there so long."

"S-Sasuke-kun…"

His face remained stoic, as did his voice, but the concern was in his eyes. "Just don't let it bother you too much; your constant fidgeting is getting on my nerves."

She smiled shyly. "Th-Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

As Itachi watched the exchange he felt his blood boil in anger. What, so Sasuke was allowed to help but he wasn't? Tch, fine, he didn't _want _to help anyway.

Just as he thought that, the doors to the master bedroom slid open slowly, revealing a very exhausted looking pair of men.

"Hinata," Hiashi said, finally acknowledging his firstborn.

"Y-Yes father?"

"There is something of utmost importance that we need to discuss. With the three of you."

Mikoto walked over to stand beside her husband. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, knowing how put-out he must have been. He smiled appreciatively before returning to a stern gaze and looking at the three young shinobi.

They remained respectfully silent, awaiting the news that they knew not to be good.

"Before you were born," Fugaku began, "We agreed that an Uchiha-Hyuga heir would indeed benefit both clans…"

The meaning was caught on immediately. Hinata gasped as her face drew heat. No one else seemed to have a reaction. Fugaku's voice faded out of her mind as he continued to explain himself. She could see the apologetic look that he was sending her, but she couldn't sympathize.

Heir? That's what he said. And heir. Or heiress. Her body went limb as she came to the realization that _this _was probably why her father hadn't come for her. This was a trial period. She was only good enough to give away. Tears formed in her eyes, but she lowered her head to hide them from her father.

Sixteen was marrying age. That was why Fugaku had asked. That was why Hiashi had come. If she wasn't turning sixteen, she probably wouldn't have seen her father in years. She turned away from the men in front of her, only to catch and lock eyes with Itachi.

He was staring at her intently, and the look in his eyes made her suck in a sharp breath. If she had to marry an Uchiha…that meant she might have to marry Itachi. No…She'd _get _to marry him. Slowly, almost unconsciously, her lips curved into a bashful smile.

Itachi's lips did the same, though his held arrogance and pride.

Fugaku's voice broke into the two's trance.

"Hinata, are you listening?"

Hinata turned back to her soon to be father-in-law with a smile, and nodded. "Y-Yes sir."

He returned her smile. "Okay. We have chosen someone who we thought would best suit your needs and we thought you'd be able to suit the needs of."

Hinata nodded dutifully.

"Hinata, as of now, you are engaged to…"

Her heart skipped a merry beat and her smile grew wider. Itachi watched her anticipation as his own heart grew warmer. They exchanged one last smile before Fugaku finished his sentence.

"Sasuke."

* * *

Shimi-chan: It took me so long to write this chapter, I am thoroughly disappointed in myself. Turns out I was right, I did lose my mojo. But I'm back on track now, it shouldn't take me so long to write chapter ten. Also, I managed to write chapter one for my other fic and come up with new jutsu's for one of my characters. So, at least I didn't waste time doing nothing. Wow, this was a long chapter…oh well. 


	11. Chapter Ten

Shimi-chan: What's up all of you, miss me? Well, thanks to a majority of reviews, I had to rewrite this chapter. In the original, there was a time skip, not months or anything, but Itachi's reaction to the news was not featured. But since so many of you wanted to see it, I guess I could do that…why the hell not? It'd be funny to write anyway. Also, because I was foolish enough to feature all my reviewers last time, the thing that I'd feared most happened: I forgot someone. I knew someone would complain eventually…sigh…now I have to do it again.

Black Daimond07, there could have been _many _reasons I didn't reply you like I did last time to everyone else. 1) You might not have put your review in chapter nine. You may have put it in another chapter. I only replied to chapter nine reviewers. 2) You may have reviewed after I posted chapter ten. Thus missing the deadline. Or 3) I may have gotten tired of typing and thus stopped. In any case, it was an accident, so please, _please _don't send evil monkeys to my doorstep. I'm still trying to recover from the trauma that thefullygirlalchemist's pets caused me. Oh and, no, sorry, but Hinata is not going to undergo spontaneous mood swings and 'yell her ass off'. Although, admittedly, I wish she would.

NinaWilliamsFemaleAssasin, hey, I just wrote your entire name without looking back at the 'reviews' page! That means it's been burned into my memory. Yes, about the HinaSasu it is the age, mostly. In the early process of this story, I was going to have her marry Itachi, but I realized that they wouldn't do that. (Sweatdrops) Is Sasuke's birthday really that far away from Hinata's, then? So, yeah, I guess _one _of them must have had a change of date…sigh…oh well, what can you do? I could go back and do a time skip, but I'd really rather not. I hope it doesn't bother you, or anyone else, that much.

Thefullygirlalchemist, I was kidding back at Black Daimond07's reply. I found your evil cats and bunnies endearing, although, I will admit…I woke up yesterday, expecting to be scratched up again, but when I looked down to the side of my bed where they usually rested…there was nothing. That was really a bittersweet moment for me. Ah, you're a Sakura hater, eh? Many are. I'm not a Sakura _hater…_She's not exactly my favorite character, but I don't hate her. Although, yeah, she's kind of pathetic in her crush chough, obsession, cough with Sasuke. I look forward to reading your story! I'm sure you're not bad, have some faith in yourself! Try your hardest, k? No half-assed efforts.

Hinata6, you were one of the many reviewers that influenced the rewrite, because you wanted to see their reactions. So here they are.

Miss0made, (Laughs) Yeah, Itachi is an ego-maniac. Except for the fact that too much attention bothers him. He feeds his own ego.

Lady Rin-San, Thank you for all your praise…very kind, reviews like these make my day. Thank you!

ColourfulKyouya-SenpaiMaybeNot, you have a long name. I had to go into your profile to see the whole thing. Gasps I'm on your favorites! I know because I just checked. I'm flattered! Hmm…Ouran Host Club? I read some of that, but I have yet to read past book 2. I'll find it though! Thank you for reviewing!

Charcoal Wings, It'll probably be a while till Sasuke's fangirls even _know _about the marriage. This is two high profile families we're talking about: No one will ever know!! Okay, I'm lying, they'll figure it out eventually.

Kyoko, I'm glad you like it! I enjoyed writing that chapter. Hope you like this too.

AmusedMurderer, I don't think I updated all that quickly, so you're free to go…this time.

Lonniet84, Heh, thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

YUUKI, Yes, Itachi, he shall just have to suffer.

VigoreanAsakura, Things _are _heating up. I like writing these parts of the story.

KagomeMarie, Yes, poor pair indeed. No one is too happy about the engagement, as you soon shall see.

Akuma de soro, yes, a twist! Good job, you are a genius indeed.

Kichou, you are a regular. Thank you for your constant support!

Rewy, you don't even know how right one of your assumptions was. But you'll find out…soon.

Dani's random fox, sorry for the long update. No excuses.

LavenderkisseS, Robles? I have a friend with that last name. I'm glad you like my story so much! I try my very hardest.

Live2die, Yes, it will be fun to write too…

Newblue, thank you for reviewing, and here's your update.

MOON CHILD SERENIY, Thank you for thinking so highly of my story.

Okay, I'm putting this out there, this is probably the last time I'll answer to every single one of you. Next chapter I'll probably only answer you if your review significantly entertained me, I feel a need to retort, or if you have a question. So don't bother me if I don't reply.

* * *

Chapter Ten:

"Sasuke."

The room froze. Smiles that were once present on Itachi and Hinata's faces dissipated without a trace that they were ever there. For a moment, they were all silently staring at one another, most of their expressions unreadable. Fugaku and Mikoto's worry was evident, however.

Sasuke abruptly ended the awkwardness with a curt and simple "No."

Fugaku sighed, clearly ready for this reaction. "Sasuke, this isn't only my—"

"No," he repeated with more force. "If you want into the Hyuga clan so bad, _you _marry her."

"Sasuke!" Mikoto screeched. "That's no way to speak to your father!"

He only grunted in reply.

"Hinata, I trust you have no objections."

She did have an objection, she had _various _objections, but one look at her father and she knew it hadn't been a question. Hence the reason the author neglected to put in a question mark. She lowered her head in reverence to her father, comforting herself with the thought that he's at least spoken to her directly, but said nothing in reply.

"_I _have an objection."

All eyes turned upon Itachi, whose presence they had forgotten up until now.

Mikoto blinked. "Itachi? What possible objection could you have?"

"They obviously don't want to get married."

"Yes, but that doesn't in any way affect y—"

"What crack-head decided that sixteen was old enough to marry anyway?"

Hiashi stepped forward, arms crossed and face etched with impatience. "She is my daughter and so I will decide who and when she marries."

Itachi's face betrayed no emotion, but his voice was the seething calm he always used just before he made a kill. "Don't forget this is _my _family you're trying to fuck with." And he meant that literally, of course.

"Last I checked you weren't the man of the house."

"As if you know anything of being a man. It really takes a 'man' to give his eldest daughter away like she was nothing more than cheap garbage. You could never be half the man I am."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed scathingly at Itachi, who didn't so much as quiver under his harsh gaze. "What is your relationship to my daughter?"

Itachi didn't have a chance to reply to that question, as Sasuke cut in once more. "It doesn't matter; I'm not marrying her."

"We will discuss this further later, Sasuke," Fugaku said, abandoning his role as the loving father for his much more serious side. Both sons knew not to argue back when he used such a tone.

Itachi held Hiashi's glare with his own, wanting so badly to close the distance between them and punch the older 'man' in the face. He knew he was losing this battle. So as his last desperate attempt at stopping this, he glanced over at Hinata. But she immediately looked away when he tried to meet her gaze. When she did he felt all the anger seep out of him and he realized that this might actually be something she wanted. She hadn't once argued back, after all. His face lost its glare and instantly went cold.

"…Fine. I don't care."

And with those words he left the living room. They all heard his door slam.

Hiashi glared off in the direction he'd left. "Training indeed…"

--

Hinata scrubbed until it was impossible to see the plate through the suds. Turning on the faucet, she rinsed it out and then placed it gently on the 'clean dish' side of the sink. And as she washed the rest of the dishes, she found it impossible to think of anything but what had happened mere days before.

As soon as the dreaded announcement had been made, her father had left her behind again. Since then, Hinata had gone back to being practically invisible and no one bothered her a bit. Even Fugaku had stopped teasing her, moving to instead sending her pitying looks whenever they made eye-contact. It slightly annoyed the young Hyuga heiress, the way he seemed so remorseful over his decision. It's not like she was mad at him over it, or even over the fact that she had to marry Sasuke-kun. It was just…just that…

She sighed as she put the cup back into the sink, still full of foam. It was just that her father had decided to so effortlessly and uncaringly give her away like some cheap doll. Tears welled in her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time, but this time she made no effort to stop them as they streamed down her face and landed on the cup. Two more followed shortly after and it wasn't long before she was silently sobbing, yet making sure she made no noise to alert anyone of her mood. When her sobs grew louder, she turned on the sink in an effort to drown out the noise, successfully hiding her weakness from those in the house.

"Hinata."

She stopped abruptly as she whipped her bowed head to the opening that led to the hallway. She blushed at the sight of Itachi and instantly started rinsing the cup she'd been washing, hoping he would simply move along. She was aware of his eyes on her as she moved on to another plate, and she was aware of his steps as he drew nearer to her, but when he put a finger under her chin and lifted her face she let out a small gasp.

There was no annoyance in his expression. There was no _anything _in his expression. But the simple fact that he was staring into her eyes refusing to let her go brought tears right back to her eyes. He allowed her to drop the cup into the sink and bury her face into his chest. She sobbed into his shirt while his hands slowly massaged her back in an attempt at calming her.

This was what, the fifth time he'd seen her crying? And that was today alone. Though it was the first time she'd seen him see her crying, if that makes any sense at all. He didn't exactly know what was wrong, but he found quickly that he couldn't get angry this time. Why, he wasn't sure, but he just couldn't. All he could do was grit his teeth to her sobs and pull a tight reign on his temper and actually try to _comfort _her. Ew.

Being the good guy was getting old, but he couldn't say that he would react differently if he was Hinata. Actually, he himself was pissed as hell. Unfortunately, he had no way to vent his frustrations because if he discussed the matter, it would lead to question he simply had no answers to. His lack of reaction had led him to double his training time, which often led to him sneaking out at night to beat on some defenseless trees and such. Because he didn't _want _Sasuke to marry Hinata. It wasn't right. It was sick, twisted, and oh so _wrong. _Why, once again, he wasn't sure. And if she had to marry his brother (insert twitching here) since before either of them was born, then why all the secrecy? Why had no one been told?

Okay, that's it, his ears were getting tired and his shirt was getting soaked both from her tears and clutching, soapy hands. He brought his hands to her shoulders and gently drew her away. She blinked up at him with such confused, innocent eyes that for a moment there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes. But his stoicism quickly won it over and he simply patted her head before leaving her.

--

"…A date…?"

Fugaku nodded exaggeratingly. "Yeah, why not?! You two will have to get used to each other eventually! What better way than through dating?"

Hinata blushed, wanting to decline, but not having the balls. Because, you know, she's female.

Sasuke, however, had plenty. "No."

Mikoto gave him a hurt expression. "Why, Sasuke? You don't want to hurt her feelings, do you?"

Sasuke spared a glance at Hinata, indicating it was her turn.

She threw her hands up and waved them before her face in defense. "N-No! My f-feeling wouldn't b-be hurt…"

Fugaku gave them both a reprimanding look. "You two aren't taking to this as we'd hoped you would…"

"Well, what did you expect? We barely even _like _each other."

"I…W-well, I-I like you, S-Sasuke-kun…"

Hinata realized instantly that she'd chosen the wrong time to be polite when she saw Fugaku's face contort into a superior grin.

"There, you see? A confession!"

Hinata blushed furiously at the implication, denying what he'd said but it was too late. His voice did override hers, after all.

And so, against their will, they ended up in the most romantic of all places: Ichikaru Ramen Bar. Simply for the lack of knowing another place they could go. Since they were there so late, it turned out to be relatively empty, giving the two plenty of privacy…which also, in turn, made it ten times more awkward.

Hinata was nervous, to say the least. This was her first date, and yet somehow she knew this was not how it was supposed to go. Didn't people usually, I don't know…_talk_ when on dates? Or look at each other? Acknowledge each others presence, surely they did that? If so, it wasn't the case with those two. Sasuke simply ate his food while Hinata sat awkwardly twiddling her fingers trying to think of something clever to say. Sasuke obviously wasn't going to initiate conversation, so…

Sasuke sighed. "Could you stop fidgeting? It's getting on my nerves."

Hinata blinked as his voice broke into her thoughts. She blushed. "O-Oh! S-Sorry, Sasuke-kun."

He rolled his eyes and continued to eat. "Hn. Aren't you going to eat?"

She looked down at her own half-full plate of food. She really wasn't hungry, but she didn't want to be rude. She took another bite.

This date was seriously going down the drains, until…

"Yo, Hinata!"

Hinata looked up from her bowl toward the familiar voice to see Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino approaching her. She smiled widely as she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"K-Kiba-kun! Shino-kun! Wh-What a-a-are you d-d-d—"

Kiba, seemingly reading her mind, answered before she could even finish her question. "Today was supposed to be our team's night out, remember? Where were you?"

"O-oh! I-I'm s-s-sorry, I…I've b-been busy…"

He shrugged with a nonchallant grin. "S'okay, you're here now right? Speaking of which, what's _he _doing here?"

She blushed and turned reluctantly back to Sasuke, who was currently staring at the two blankly. "W-We, um, we're on…" she blushed. "W-We…"

Akamaru barked.

"Huh? No way!" Kiba chuckled lightly before turning to Hinata. "Akamaru thinks you two are on a date!"

She blushed deeper, not answering.

Silence.

Kiba's eyes grew wide. "Wait…You're not…You can't be…"

"Could you leave?" Sasuke stated in a cold voice. "You're interrupting."

"No way!" Kiba exploded, drawing the attention of people trying to eat. "Hinata, is that true?!"

She blushed. Too embarrassed to answer, she could only nod dumbly. Though she managed to shoot a look of desperation to Shino.

Understanding her instantly, he nodded. "It's time to go," he stated to Kiba.

Kiba glanced at him. "Who made you boss?"

"Kurenai-sensei is expecting us tomorrow at practice early. We should get some rest."

"Oh yeah…Are you gonna show this time, Hinata?"

"I…I d-don't know…I'm t-training with Itanii—…Um…I-I mean, Itachi-sensei…"

Kiba stared at her strangely for a moment but decided to let it slide. "Fine, whatever. Just don't forget about us, okay?"

Hinata was about to mumble an apology before she realized he was joking. She smiled. "I-I'll t-try not to…"

He chuckled as he and Shino both exited the bar.

And that, dear readers, happened to be the high point of the 'date' for the rest of the night was spent as awkwardly and silent as it had started. Once finishing his own bowl, Sasuke wasted no time in declaring the 'date' officially over by simply throwing money on the table, standing, and walking toward the exit. Hinata was left at the table staring dumbfounded at his retreating back before he looked over his shoulder and sighed.

"Well? Or did you want more?"

She shook her head instantly. "N-No! Um, I…"

"Then let's go," he said, motioning for her to follow.

She instantly stood and trailed behind him silently, on their way back to Uchiha grounds. Uchiha grounds and not Hyuga…She'd probably never be welcome there again. Her sister would most likely be taking the role of leader once their father passed…No one would even give it a second thought. They all thought that she should be leader anyway.

There was a familiar stinging sensation in her eyes. Why? Why was she so worthless? She was only good as a woman…and only because she could produce an heir. What if, after some time, there was still no child? Sasuke would most likely spurn her, having her around only to clean the house or some other slave-like thing. Why was she so utterly useless to everyone? As a shinobi, as a daughter, as a sister…and maybe even as a wife. She couldn't stop the silent sob from escaping her mouth.

"Is the prospect of marrying me so repulsive?"

Hinata blinked at the sound of Sasuke's angry voice. He was facing her now, hurt and anger flashing plainly in his eyes.

"I…I d-don't underst…what d-do you mean?"

He took an angry step toward her, giving her a small urge to take a step back, but she did not succumb to that. "You know what I mean! You've been crying twenty times a day since you figured out you had to marry me!"

She gasped. It wasn't about him at all! She wasn't crying because she had to marry him! "N-no, Sasuke-kun I just—"

"But I didn't miss the smile you gave my brother right before dad said _my _name! So…" his voice hardened harshly as did his eyes. "So you're like everyone else, then? Would you rather have my brother? Is he so much better than I am?"

It was such a blunt question that Hinata almost considered not answering it. And she could've had that option, because after a moment of silence Sasuke turned back around and started to walk away. But there had been so much familiarity in what he'd said…almost like how she felt. She reached out without a thought and grabbed his hand. He made no move to either yank his hand away or turn back toward her.

Hinata took his silence as he cue to speak. "Sasuke-kun…I…I'm sorry that y-you thought…I'm not sad because of that…It's just…that…"

Tears started to leak out of her eyes as she stepped closer to him, pressing her face to his back. "It's just that I feel s-so worthless! L-Like I'm only g-g-good enough to g-give away! I…" her sobbing calmed, but tears were still falling from her face as she continued. "I d-don't hate her…Hanabi…b-but I will admit th-that I'm…j-jealous of h-her…d-dad loves h-h-her so much…h-he'd never g-g-give her to anyone…b-but…I'm not…" She brought her free hand to clutch his shirt as she pressed herself closer to his back. "I'm n-not as s-strong as she is…I d-d-don't think I e-e-ever w-will b-b-be…"

After a long moment of bearing her sobs, she felt Sasuke sigh as he turned to face her. He glanced upward toward the sky, clearly not wanting to make eye contact with the crying girl before him. "Forget it. I didn't mean what I said."

She nodded tearfully.

"And…" he glanced at her briefly. "You're _not_ as strong as your sister is."

She paused before lowering her head and nodding slowly in agreement.

"You're probably stronger. In ways you don't even know."

Hinata blinked and looked up at him, hoping to find some sense of comfort in his expression, but he was looking at the ever-reddening sky. If not for the soft pink tint of his face, she may have thought he was taunting her. She giggled lightly, earning her a grunt from Sasuke as he continued on the path toward his house…_their _house. When he turned away from her she missed two things: his smile and the silent 'thank you' he mouthed out.

He didn't let go of her hand either.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Okay, there you go. Hope you all like it! 


	12. Chapter Eleven

Shimi-chan: (Sheepish) Sorry...that was a long update, I know. The sad part is that there was no reason behind it...I was simply too lazy to update. I will not make excuses for myself. Feel free to flame me for my lack of responsibility, I feel I've earned it. N-E-way, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Also, I thought I'd write this small excerpt on my own past, because I just thought of it and it's making me grin like a fool. Here goes. When I was younger (7 or 8) we couldn't affor to have skates for me _and _my younger brother, but we both loved to skate. And we both also hated taking turns, as it left one of us all alone. Our solution? We each wore only one skate and pushed ourselves along instead of actually skating. We called it 'Scooter Skating.' Hahaha, we were so...creative, for lack of a better word. So, yeah, I just wanted to write that.

Melodramatic Writer, I appreciate the chocolate, ypu've given my life meaning. I would share it with you, but I guess if you have enough chocolate to reign on me over a lifetime, surely you have some for yourself...right?

thefullygirlalchemist, do you really want chocolate? You're in luck! Melodramatic Writer just wrote me a review sending me never-ending chocolate. Take some (Offers cookies). And as for taking my idea, no! I will never forgive you! Just kidding, I don't mind, it's not as if I went into deep detail regarding the training thing.

NinaWilliamsSilentAssasin, Don't worry, Hinata will have the chance to prove herself in battle! Against...??? Yeah right, like I'd spoil it for you guys! (Hahahaha) And thanks for loving my story so much! Your reviews are kind.

dani's random fox, ...Hi.

FIREKEEPER, Is Sasuke glad...? I don't know, maybe? I guess we'll both figure it out soon enough. One word might give the whole thing away, but I'll say it anyway: Peaches. Read the chapter and you'll get that.

Itami of the Pain, you ask if Sasuke likes her too? Read the summary in my profile. And then read the summary on the story. It states: ItaHinaSasu, I believe. So, yes, even if Sasuke doesn't yet (and I'm not saying yes or no) he will like her sooner or later.

Sora4801, You reviewed for everyone of my chapters as you read them? Thank you, I'm glad you like me that much. I normally just read the story and review on the last possible chapter. But, thanks!

AyumiXXX, forgie me for not putting your actual name but I am christian and as such, the number you have chosen is one I'd rather not write. (Laughing) I thought I'd considered every possible outcome, but obviously not. Threesome...? I'll think about it...-

* * *

Chapter Eleven:

They were getting along well. _Too _well, one would almost say. Just watching the two gave you a warm feeling in your heart…unless you were Itachi, in which case it gave you a nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach. Giggling had never sounded so disgusting, looks that were meant to send a smile to the face of the witness made Itachi scowl with burning hatred. When, goddamn it all, had this changed? Wasn't it mere days ago that she had been bawling her eyes out at every turn of the day? But ever since she went on that date with Sasuke (missing afternoon training, by the way) she'd come back with nothing but good cheer. No more could she be seen secretly crying while doing things. No more could he hear hidden sobs through her door (not that he was checking or anything like that).

Now that we're done talking about what _Itachi _thinks is going on, let's tell what is really happening. Ever since the date, Hinata had noticed a change in both herself and Sasuke. He seemed…nicer to her. Now, don't read too much into that. It wasn't like he was expressing his love of her, or buying her surprise gifts, nothing like that. But, ever since they were small, Hinata had interacted only with Itachi. Sasuke and her were not close…they knew each other, they could pick each other out of a crowd, but they never actually communicated.

But that was so long ago. _Now _she spent more time with Sasuke than with Itachi (sensei).She only actually interacted with Itachi during training…and she kind of missed his attentions…but she wouldn't allow herself depression. This was how it had to be. She was only upsetting everyone with her childish attitude. She would show her father and everyone else that had ever doubted her—in other words, everyone period—that she could tough things out. Having to get married wasn't the end of the world. She would make her father see what a mistake giving her away had actually been.

Hinata awoke on that morning to the quiet sound of…silence. She slowly inspected the entire house, hoping she wasn't completely alone, but sure enough, it was empty. Feeling a little bit insecure about being in a house that wasn't her own while it was empty she searched for something to pass the time with. There was nothing.

It was a Saturday morning, besides which today was her birthday, and there was no one around. Itachi hadn't even bothered to wake her for training…which was odd, because normally training was ten times worse on Saturdays. Maybe he was giving her a break because it was her birthday. Tch, yeah right. Itachi didn't even know the word 'break' existed, unless it was used with its other meaning 'to break.' The other possibility was that he was mad at her, which didn't seem as unlikely. He seemed to be getting mad at her for random reasons lately. Like leaving the door to her room open. And there was that one time that she forgot to put the big fork in the right side of the cabinet. And the time that she didn't polish her kunai before practice.

_He _didn't even polish his kunai. Ever.

Shaking her head to those thoughts that would lead only to more crying, she decided to concentrate on training herself. Even if Itachi hadn't woken her up, she still felt the need to train. She'd just fallen into the habit. So, finally having some form of destination, she went out to the yard to work-out.

---

Yeah, sure, send _him _to find her. Itachi growled at his father's idiotic logic, which he still couldn't understand. That idiotic man woken them up early (and if Itachi thought it was early, it was _early_), dragged them all out to Konoha, made preparations at (you guessed it) _Naruto's _house, which still angered Itachi to no end, and then to top it all off nicely, sent Itachi to go and get her when the party preparations were done.

She'd said she didn't want a party. Itachi was there when she said it. So then why, despite the fact that they all knew she'd said no, did his father insist on throwing this party? True, it was in no way as big as Sasuke's, and it was limited to whoever fit inside Naruto's house, but that changed nothing! A party was a party, and he knew that he would only be bored out of his brains.

He sighed. At least it wasn't going to be like last time; Hinata didn't know about the party this time, so she couldn't possibly have time to dress the way she had…right? Just how long did it take girls to do their stuff, anyway? He hoped beyond hope that all those hours his mother wasted in the bathroom were not spent simply staring at the reflection in the mirrors. Because if they were, and Hinata did have enough time to doll herself up like she had last time, then he would…

He finally arrived at the Uchiha compound, relieved that no one got in his way to offer him greeting. No doubt he would snap at the first person who dared talk to him. At least with this minimal interruption he could go straight to Hinata and then straight back and then, and here's the best part, he could ignore everyone and hide in his stoic solitude.

Yay.

He was about to enter the house when he heard suspicious grunts and thuds coming from around back. Lifting a curious brow, he opted for investigating the strange noises.

Shock was not a common emotion for him to feel. But it seemed that he was feeling it more and more these days, and he didn't like it. As a matter of fact, he hated it. And it always had the same cause.

Hinata was training. But that in itself wasn't so surprising. It was what she was wearing, or what she _wasn't _wearing that gave him that unwanted surge of shock. Even less common than Itachi feeling was Hinata without her jacket. But there she was, kicking a stump on the ground, _sweater-less. _Meaning she was wearing nothing but a black tank top, which he actually thanked God for. After all, a tank top was better than the usual fishnet under-shirt she usually wore, which would have revealed quite a lot…

He grew hot, though not in the face.

Growling in frustration as his own body would betray him, he somehow willed his legs to move in her general direction. He didn't get very close before she felt his presence and whipped her head to face him.

"I-Itachi…um, sensei…"

"Itachi," he ground out, avoiding eye contact. "Just Itachi."

She blushed and lowered her head in a curt bow. "U-um…w-where is everybody?"

He ignored how she tactfully changed the subject. "I'll take you to them."

She nodded dutifully and took a step forward.

But was quickly reprimanded by Itachi for it.

"You're going dressed in _that_?" He sounded calm but the look in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Hinata blinked then looked down at herself. She returned her eyes to his face shyly. "Um…Y-Yes…?"

He growled. "Like hell you are. Get your ass in there and change."

She blinked again. Change…? Into what? This was all she had. "But…But…"

"No buts! What the hell were you thinking coming out like this anyway? Does the prospect of rape excite you?"

She blushed. "N-N-No!!! B-But it w-w-was h-hot, s-so I t-t-took off m-my sweater, a-and—"

"I didn't ask for an explanation. Go inside and cover yourself up. Bring out a water bottle of you're so damn hot, because we'll be walking a long way to Konoha."

Blushing still, she nodded before quickly running into the house to comply.

He watched her run, wallowing in how he'd managed to scare her _again. _He'd _tried _to tell his father to send someone else to get her but no. Yup, it was very smart to send Itachi.

---

The long walk to town was spent in a very uncomfortable silence, with only the occasional chug of water that Hinata would take to break the tension.

And after it was broken it came back tenfold.

Once they finally arrived at the Konoha main gates, Hinata smiled politely at the guards she passed before turning her stare to Itachi.

"Urm…H-How much l-longer?"

He looked at her with an irritated scowl. "Tired?"

She shook her head benevolently. "N-No! I j-j-just—"

"Not much longer," he said, his face going back to stoicism, "We're going to Naruto's house."

She blinked as her cheeks took on a pink complexion. "N-Naruto-kun?!"

He mentally froze. How could he have forgotten?! Hinata had a crush on the idiot, didn't she?! Damn it, now he had two rivals! Er…What he meant to think was that…um…Naruto…was…annoying? Yeah, that was why he was mad right now. It had nothing to do with how Hinata had turned to twiddling her fingers nervously at the sound of Naruto's name, or with the way she was blushing scarlet.

But he was wrong. Hinata didn't like Naruto anymore…at least she didn't think…so much had happened. Too much had happened. She couldn't be the same anymore. Even though only very few months had gone by, she knew she wasn't who she had once been. And after that dream…

She shook the thoughts from her head. No, that meant nothing! If she was basing the decision on the dream, then that would mean that she liked…that she liked…she glanced at Itachi.

He was looking at her too.

She blushed a bright red before whipping her head to the other side.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the sight of Naruto's house turned his thoughts from anything he was about to say. He stopped Hinata before they could reach the front door.

"Close your eyes."

She blinked for a moment but didn't argue as her eyes shut tightly.

He smirked lightly once she couldn't see him and grabbed her hand, leading her toward Naruto's front door. He felt her tense at his touch, sending a slight scowl to his face, but at least she didn't try to pull away. Because there was no way in hell he would have let her.

She kept her eyes tightly closed, though she'd had the urge to blink when she felt Itachi's hand close around her own. Her heart raced from the contact, but she didn't bother asking why. Such questions she would consider infidelity. She only allowed herself to be led to what she could only assume was Naruto's house. Thankfully it was as she thought, for moments later she heard a door opening and she could feel the darkness that surrounded the inside of the house. She felt Itachi's hand begin to slip out of her own, but she tightened hers causing Itachi to let out a what could have been either a growl or a chuckle.

"Relax, Hinata. Don't open your eyes yet."

She let him go slowly but nodded. Not that he could see her through the dark. She heard his retreating footsteps, but she also heard random voices and giggles. She fought to keep her eyes closed, but she wanted to know what was laughing at her…

"Surprise!!"

Suddenly the room was basked in warm luminescence. Hinata's eyes bugged open at the unexpected shout to see all her friends gathered under a sign that read 'Happy Birthday Hinata!' She smiled slowly, blushing through her happiness. She glanced at Itachi, who was standing to her right smirking slightly. Without a conscious thought, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It wasn't as if he'd never gotten hugged before. He had. Plenty of times. Sometimes, even by non-related girls. But he couldn't remember even one time when Hinata had hugged him. He felt the very same part of him as previously heat up. He made no move to either hug her back nor push her away. But he wanted so badly to be able to crush her fragile body to his again…to have her melting in his arms…yes, how nice that would be…

But with his lack of response, she quickly pulled away while blushing in embarrassment.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, I-Itachi-s—…u-um, Itachi…I w-wasn't th-thinking…"

He shrugged indifferently, thanking God silently that he was incapable of blushing. Apparently. "It doesn't matter. Happy birthday, Hinata."

She couldn't reply, because before she could even think of something to say, he'd walked away. To the back of the party like the two of them used to do when they were children and one of their parents were holding some sort of festivity. But this time she couldn't follow him. One: it was her party. Two: Sasuke was now approaching.

He looked a little peeved, and she wasn't so stupid that she didn't know why. She just liked to _pretend _she was. Before he could say anything, she tentatively hugged him. He blinked slightly in surprise, but unlike Itachi, he actually moved to hold her back. Blushing, she quickly removed herself as she avoided eye-contact.

She glanced nervously at the ground, twiddling her fingers yet again. "Th-Thank y-y-you for th-this, S-Sasuke-kun…"

"Hn," came his reply. She smiled nonetheless.

The group all stepped forward to crowd around the now 16-year-old Hyuga heiress. There was a chorus of 'happy birthdays' from everyone, and Hinata could only nod shyly at the people surrounding her.

"Hey Hinata-chan!" called out a rather rambunctious kitsune, "How come you didn't get all dressed up like last time?"

Sakura appeared out of seemingly thin air. "Duh, it was a surprise party, you baka! She had no time to get ready. Besides," Sakura proceeded to glare coldly at the shy heiress, "she didn't have any friends to help her this time. She doesn't have any friend's period."

Hinata wanted to respond with an apology, and moved to do it, but Kiba defended her saying, "That's not true! I could have helped her."

A stilling silence followed Kiba's…could it possibly have been a…confession?

Naruto quickly came to the embarrassed shinobi's aid, though probably without notice. "Yeah! I would have helped too!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Then she'd turn out even uglier than she already—"

Sakura realized a little too late that she'd just made a _lot _of new enemies. The entire room had quieted at Kiba's comment, so it wasn't all that hard for them to hear what Sakura had been about to say. Glares from throughout the room were being sent to her but before anyone could act on their desires, Ino spoke quietly yet firmly.

"Sakura, I think you should leave."

Sakura was beginning to get nervous under their dark scowls, so she shot one last glare to Hinata before shrinking away and out of the house. Ino gave Hinata an apologetic glance.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-san. Sakura's just a little…mad. Because you took Sasuke away from her."

Sasuke scowled in disgust. "I was never Sakura's in the first place."

Ino disregarded his input. "But I know you don't really like Sasuke…or do you?" Ino added as an afterthought, elbowing the shy girl playfully.

Hinata blushed profusely. "U-Um, w-w-well…"

Ino blinked. "Whoa…You mean you actually like him?"

Hinata wasn't sure how to answer, because she wasn't sure if she did or not. She thought…not. But how was she supposed to say that with Sasuke _right there_? Plus there was the fact that she was to marry him. If she could convince other people she liked Sasuke-kun, then maybe she could convince herself too.

'_I **do **like Sasuke-kun, I **do **like Sasuke-kun, I **do—**'_

Thankfully, Ino only laughed, saying it was a joke, before they moved on with the day. The rest of Hinata's party progressed slowly with laughter, glee, conversation, and a lot of non-bottle related games. The gathering came to a gradual end, beginning with Ino who had to work, Kiba and Shino who went off to train, Shikamaru and Choji who came at their own convenience (and for food), Itachi getting bored as hell and leaving, and ending with Naruto passing out over exhaustedly on the couch from training non-stop the night before.

By the time this had all happened night had fallen and the only thing that lay in the way of the remaining Uchiha's leaving was Hinata's guilt over leaving the young kitsune's house dirty. They all chipped in to at least make it the clean it was when they arrived, which was still pretty messy. Hinata, with Sasuke's help, managed to carry Naruto into his room and lay him gently on his futon. They also managed to clear all the confetti someone had insisted on bringing. Hinata was just finishing the sweeping when she heard her stomach growl loudly.

At the moment she was in the kitchen with Sasuke, who was throwing some junk away. She blushed at the sight of Sasuke's raised eyebrows.

"Didn't you eat?"

Slowly, she shook her head, her face still burning with embarrassment.

Sighing and muttering something that sounded like 'hopeless', he went over to the cupboards to find her some food, but there was only ramen, ramen, ramen, canned fruit, ramen—…Wait, fruit? Since when did Naruto own fruit?

Grabbing said can, which turned out to be peaches, he turned it over in his hands to check the expiration date. He partly expected it to have expired years ago, but it was the contrary. It was due to expire in a few months. Who knew Naruto had secret cravings for fruit?

He popped it open and handed it to her. "Here," was all he said as she slowly wrapped her delicate fingers around her prize. She stared up at him with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Th-Thank y-y-you, S-Sasuke-k-kun…"

He didn't reply.

She secretly hoped he would leave her to eat the fruit alone…because she had no intention of eating it. She hated peaches. But the way he was looking down at her guaranteed that he was not leaving until there was not a drop of juice left in the can. She continued to stare at him, beseeching him silently with her eyes, but he seemed oblivious to her pleas. After a long, awkward while of them simply staring at each other, Sasuke broke the silence.

"You're hungry, so eat."

Biting down a whimper, she looked into the can of fruit. She hadn't eaten peaches in what seemed like quite a while, for which she was thoroughly grateful. But she had no choice now…Grabbing a clean fork, Hinata plunged it into the can only to come out with the biggest, plumpest peach slice she had ever seen. She grimaced as she brought the offending fruit to her mouth and hastily shoved it in and tried to swallow it without chewing. Of course, that probably wasn't the best course of action, for she soon started choking on the overgrown slice. After a few gagging noises and attempts at swallowing (her fruit, you perverts) she managed to choke it down.

She looked up at Sasuke, who had been watching her little show, to see deep amusement in his eyes. His lips were slightly twitched upward, though if she wasn't right in front of him she doubted she would have seen it.

She blushed deeply as she handed the can back to him. "I…I d-d-don't l-like p-p-peaches…"

His voice was thick with amusement. "Then you should have said so."

She nodded and everything would have been just fine if only her stomach hadn't chosen that moment to growl again. She 'meep'ed at the noise her body produced while blushing darker, if it were possible. This time Sasuke surprised her by chuckling, which increased the already fast pace of her heart which pretty much guaranteed her dying from heart-attack.

He was still smirking. "Here, let me see if I can help. Close your eyes and open your mouth."

She was hesitant to obey his commands, thinking that he was just going to shove another peach down her throat, but Sasuke wasn't that cruel…she hoped. But, seeing that she had no choice, she complied.

Hinata waited expectantly, nerves only growing when she heard the clink of a fork against a tin can, hoping that it would end quickly. But things did not go as expected.

Her eyes widened to an almost impossible degree when she felt the unmistakable brush of lips against her open mouth. She stared dazedly into Sasuke's eyes, still full of merriment, when she felt his tongue move past her lips and into her mouth. Too shocked to move away from his touch, she almost didn't register that he had just put something in her mouth.

A peach.

He pulled away slowly, playfully nibbling her bottom lip as he went, and chuckled again when she just stared at him.

"Chew or you're going to choke again."

Obediently, she started chewing the slice and swallowed with much more ease than the first time. His smirk held its ground on his face. "Better?"

She nodded dumbly, emitting another chuckle from Sasuke. He bent down to kiss her again, which immediately made Hinata suck in a sharp breath.

"Hey, whatha hell are you guys doin here?"

Hinata whirled around while Sasuke glanced casually over her to see a groggy Naruto standing in the entryway.

"N-Naruto-kun, y-you're awake!"

"Mmm, yeah. Hey, are those my peaches?"

She blushed. "Y-Yes, I-I'm s-s-sorry Naruto-k-kun, b-but—"

"Hinata was hungry. Got a problem with that?"

Naruto, too groggy to rise to the challenge of his friend/foe, shook his head. "You can have them Hinata-chan, just don't give any to this teme, kay?"

Hinata giggled lightly at Sasuke's dark expression as Naruto stumbled back out and toward his room. At the sound of her laughter, Sasuke glanced down at her.

"Now, back to business…"

"Y-Y-Yes, b-business, l-like cleaning…w-which remind m-me th-that I have t-to clean the l-living room!"

She pushed her way around him and scampered off toward said room, which they both knew was already clean. Plopping herself on the now visible couch of the crowded apartment, she came to an unsettling conclusion.

Peaches were actually pretty good.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Hee-hee! This is good, I am satisfied. Though, I will regretfully admit, it took me _ages _to write this one. Looks like I wasn't as out-of-my rut as I thought…hopefully the next chapter will some along smoother. Lol, oh well, this chapter was _so _worth it. 


	13. Chapter Twelve

Shimi-chan: ...Yes, it has been a while. Sorry. Again. A lot of things have happened...Nothing bad, many good. But that's no excuse, since I already had this chapter written. Sorry, sorry, it was another matter of being to lazy to post it. Heh.

Thank you all for reviewing! Sorry to all those who rushed me and I still didn't listen...I'm sorry!! Here it is:

* * *

Chapter Twelve:

"No," Neji shouted while banging his fist against the hard desk top, "I will not stand for it!"

Hiashi's indifferent expression did not even flicker as he stared at the enraged young Hyuga. When Neji and Hanabi had both been called into Hiashi's office, they'd assumed that they'd finally been caught for the 'put shaving cream on Hiashi's face while he sleeps' incident. However, when they'd arrived the words that had escaped the elders lips had been even more unpleasant than they'd anticipated.

"_Hinata is engaged to an Uchiha."_

The mere thought of his baby cousin belonging to either of those monsters enraged Neji to no end while the thought of her sister never coming back saddened Hanabi. They'd both mirrored each other's shocked expressions at the news. Which led to Hanabi's head hanging a little lower, which led to Hiashi scolding her stoically, which led to _this…_

"How can you just give her away?!" Nej screamed, speaking what he knew to be Hinata's feelings. "She has a right to decide!"

"She gave up that right by disobeying me and not coming back as I ordered her to do," Hiashi stated sternly.

"So, what, she's given up the right to be your daughter?!"

"Neji," Hiashi began in warning tones.

"I'll remind you who out of your two daughter's looks more like your wife!"

Hiashi's hand came crashing down the same desk as anger played out dangerously in his eyes. "Bite your tongue, boy, or you'll force me to use _it_."

Neji's own rage stayed apparent in his eyes but his arms fell limply to his sides before he kneeled on one knee before his uncle, seemingly in humility. In reality, he just wanted to avoid Hiashi's eyes so he wouldn't have the urge to attack him.

"Forgive me, uncle," he gritted, "I overstepped my boundaries."

"Get up," Hiashi commanded.

Neji did so.

"When I called you two in here, it was not to ask your opinions. I have made my decision. I simply thought you would wish to know, since you both seem to like the girl."

Neji had to suppress his growl at the response and even Hanabi's eyes darkened with anger.

"Dismissed."

Neither needed further instruction as they sauntered out of the dreary room, wishing this little visit _had _been about the shaving cream. When the door was closed and both were safely out of eye and ear shot, only then did Hiashi allow the concealed emotion show on his face.

"_I'll remind you who out of your two daughter's looks more like your wife!"_

He knew. Hinata, she looked so much like her mother. But her mother was strong, independent, beautiful. Hinata was weak, so annoyingly dependant, and yet she dared to be beautiful, like her mother. It made him angry, the thought that she would smear his wife's beauty with her actions. So he did the best thing possible: he got her as far away as he could. And he would not miss her one bit.

But, try as he might, he never had been able to lie to himself.

-

As soon as he turned the corner, Neji felt that he would lose it. Hinata marrying an animal? Hell, he wouldn't lie, he would have preferred _Naruto._ Also, he wouldn't mind so much if Hinata had made the decision. But he knew Hinata: if she ever made the decision to marry, it would never be this soon (unless Naruto randomly proposed to her). No, this had been a fixed marriage, and that enraged Neji enough to want to beat something the hell up.

And, look, here came Hanabi now.

Seeing the murderous intent in her older and much stronger cousins eyes, she paused her walk.

"Ummm…Neji-nii-san…are you okay?"

Her voice snapped out of his intentions. He sighed heavily, putting on an annoyed scowl. "Hell no, I'm not. I can't believe that idiotic father of yours would—"

Hanabi shushed him. "Are you crazy?!" she whispered. "He hears all!"

Neji lifted a brow. "Riiight…Whatever. Is there a reason you followed me?"

"Oh yeah! Could you take me to Hinata?"

"No," he answered flatly.

Her face fell. "But…But…"

"No, Hanabi. It's dangerous, and I don't even know if you'd be able to make the walk over to the Uchiha compound. Besides, I'd get into huge trouble for it."

"So you're telling me you don't feel the urge to rebel after that?"

"This isn't about rebelling. This is about putting my ass on the line for you, runt."

She flushed indignantly. "I'm twelve now, quit calling me that!"

He smirked.

"Fine! I'm going with or without you!"

She turned on heel and he watched her leave, smirk fading into another frown. He knew that she meant what she said. He also knew she'd never make it alone. Sighing, he followed her.

-

"You dumbass, that's not how you do it."

"Why don't you demonstrate, you fucking housewife."

"At least I won't be living here when I'm forty and still a virgin."

"Shut the hell up, I didn't wait till I was ten to stop sucking my thumb."

Hinata watched the insults between the two brothers, moving her eyes back and forth between the two as if she'd been watching a tennis match. Only tennis matches never tended to get so violent. Or personal. Or murderous. Or…petrifying. She found herself transfixed in her spot, not being able to do anything. Lately things went like this. The daily checklist. Train with Itachi. Hang out with Sasuke. Have dinner with the family. Watch Itachi and Sasuke fight over something completely pointless while making sure you never spoke.

Because if you did, expect to come out headless.

Hinata had been eating peacefully, as seemingly were the rest of the family (she must have missed all those glares Itachi and Sasuke had exchanged). Then, when dinner was over, she'd offered to wash the dishes. Itachi had kindly, and uncharacteristically, offered to help. Not allowing himself to be outdone, Sasuke had done the same.

Right then, Hinata knew she was in for it.

But she said nothing as she followed the two boys to the kitchen, each having an armful of dirty dishes, and kept silent still as she started to scrub them down. Then Itachi had grabbed another sponge and moved to help her, and then Sasuke called him a dumbass.

And thus the war of the words had begun.

Hinata stood helplessly watching the two banter for the millionth time. Today. It seemed all they did lately was argue. She remembered when once she'd told Itachi that he should talk to his brother, and that they should have some form of communication. Now she wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"G-Guys," she said, barely above a whisper. Definitely not enough to catch their attention. She tried again, but didn't bother to raise her volume in hopes that her mere desperation would alert them to her needs. A lot of good that did her.

She gripped both their arms. "P-Please s-s-stop…"

"Stay out of this," they snapped in unison.

Her eyes went wide and she instantly withdrew her hands, holding them to her chest as if they'd burned her. They recognized their error when tears threatened to spill from her eyes. They shot each other one last 'look-what-you-did' glare before turning their attentions to Hinata.

Which didn't help at all, because there was no way in hell an _Uchiha _was apologizing. They all just stood around awkwardly saying nothing.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," Hinata finally stammered, fighting off tears. "I-It w-w-wasn't my p-p-place…"

Sasuke averted his eyes stubbornly. "Don't apologize if it wasn't your fault."

"B-But…I sh-shouldn't h-h-have i-interrupted w-when it w-w-was really n-none of my b-business…"

Little did she know it was all about her.

Luckily, no further words that could have possibly led to embarrassment were exchanged for they were interrupted by a loud banging at the door. Hinata lit up instantly.

"I-I-I'll g-g-get it!" she squeaked and scattered out of the war zone before either could object.

The moment she was gone the brothers exchanged yet another hostile glare before they both lunged for the sponge.

-

Hinata was thoroughly grateful for the interruption and made her way toward the front door before anyone else got to it. She opened it gracefully and tried to utter a greeting. All she got out was 'Hel—' before she was throttled backwards by a little girl that looked tremendously like Hanabi…

Oh, wait, that was her. "Nee-chan!"

Hinata blinked down at the child squeezing her waist. "H-Hanabi? What are you…?"

"I brought her."

Her eyes widened further as she turned her stare to her older cousin, who had let himself in.

"N-Neji-nii-san? B-But…w-why are you…?"

He looked annoyed. "We came to take you back home."

Hinata's eyes darkened considerably. "I-I'm s-s-sorry N-Neji-nii-san, b-but I already t-told you…"

"The circumstances are different now," he stated simply. "Did you know that your father is going to marry you to an Uchiha?"

Slowly, she nodded.

He blinked. "You knew? And you didn't come back?"

Hanabi stared at her older sister, dumbfounded and a little hurt. "You didn't _want _to come back? Would you rather be here, Nee-chan?"

"N-No! That's n-not it! It's j-just…w-well would it h-have made a d-difference? If I-I had c-c-come back…h-he would j-just h-have sent m-me back here…"

"What do you mean? He was the one that sent me here to retrieve you in the first place."

"I-I k-know b-b-but…h-he came b-by a-a-about a week ag-go…"

Hanabi blinked this time. "He did?"

Hinata nodded sadly. "H-He s-said that i-it was d-decided wh-when I was b-b-born…"

Neji growled in annoyance. "So that means that Fugaku and Mikoto have already agreed to it?"

She nodded again.

His face turned to granite. "Hanabi, go get them. Hinata, we need to talk."

Hanabi raised a skeptical gaze to her elders, but quickly went to do as told. The instant she disappeared from view, Neji regarded his cousin with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?"

She blinked in confusion. "Um…y-yes…?"

His appearance altered into seriousness as he closed the distance between them and squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. "Hinata, if he's touched you—"

Hinata's face instantly drew heat as she shook her head vehemently. "N-No!! H-h-he w-w-would _never _t-t-touch me!!"

"Hinata, don't lie to me. If Itachi even thinks about—"

Hearing that name instantly quickened her heart and brightened her pale cheeks. "N-N-Neji-nii-san!! Itachi h-has n-no reason t-to—"

He knocked her gently on the head. "Stop interrupting and I'll explain it to you. Now that you two are engaged, he may think he's entitled to it. But he'll never take you to the altar, not if I have something to say about it. Do not trust him so blindly."

Only when he was through with his little speech did he notice that she'd lowered her gaze so her hair fell over her eyes. Only the bright red sheen of her ears told him he'd embarrassed her.

"I'm…I'm n-not m-m-marrying Itachi…"

He lifted a brow. "You're not?"

She shook her head.

Realization slowly dawned on his hardened features. "So…If you're not marrying _Itachi_…"

She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast.

If she had dared to look up, she would have seen a look of unguarded anger and worry ten times worse that of before. But she didn't look up, and before he could say a word Hanabi had come back into the entryway and tugged on their hands.

"Come on, I think they're sick. They keep breathing real hard."

Hinata and Neji exchanged puzzled glances, Hinata's stitched with a little worry, before allowing themselves to be led off toward the master bedroom. Hanabi halted them at the door and pressed her ear against the cold wood of the door.

"Listen," she whispered.

After a few moments of silence, the trio was met with noises of heavy breathing. Faint moans and giggles could also be heard through the thin wall. Hinata's face drew immeasurable heat, but Hanabi seemed oblivious to the actual cause to the noises.

"I think they're sick," she repeated with conviction.

Neji instantly wrapped an arm around her eyes and ears, crushing her fragile head to his body a little more roughly than necessary. She yelped as she tried to pry his arm from his face, but he merely picked her up effortlessly and carried her away. Hinata trailed behind knowingly.

When they'd made it back to the living room Neji released a flushed and angry Hanabi from his hold.

"What the hell was that for?!" she shouted angrily. "Shouldn't we go check on them?! They sounded sick!"

Hinata just couldn't seem to get rid of that blush.

Neji, for his part, was scowling darkly. "If you go back there I'll make sure you don't come back with all your body parts."

Hanabi's eyes widened with fear and confusion as she scooted closer to her sister. His foul mood moved to Hinata as well.

"And _you. _What have you learned in this house?"

"Th-they're n-n-not n-n-normally like th-that…"

He glared at her disbelievingly. "Hinata, you're coming with me and that's final."

"N-N-Neji-nii-san, y-you know I c-c-can't d-do that…"

"Why not?" Hanabi asked, voice pleading.

"Y-you kn-know that _h-he _w-would just s-s-send me b-back…"

"Not if we hide you," they both deadpanned.

She wasn't entirely sure how to answer to that. She opted for staring at them with a blush and incredulity.

"Hinata…" Neji's voice was the epitome of seriousness. "Do you _want _to marry that Uchiha bastard?"

"W-Wha?!" she squeaked

Hanabi morphed into stoicism as well. "Well? Do you?"

Hinata blushed. "I…I d-don't know…"

"What's that? A yes or a no?"

Hinata fell and remained silent. She _didn't _know, just like she didn't know how to respond to Ino's question back at the party. There was no one else on her mind when she thought of her marriage, but she wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that she actually didn't like anyone else or because her decision had been made fore her already.

'_Or maybe it has to do with the dream…'_

She became extremely uncomfortable at the direction her thoughts had taken. "I…I h-have to m-m-marry Sasuke…"

"That doesn't answer my question."

Hinata gulped. "…Y-yes, I…I w-w-would b-be h-happy with Sasuke…"

She wasn't sure if that was the truth, but Neji looked convinced, because he visibly relaxed when the words left her mouth. Hanabi looked a bit hurt, but accepting nonetheless. Hinata couldn't help but giggle slightly at their reactions. She realized that her statement was half true. She may not be in love with Sasuke, and she may not spend the rest of her life with giddy joy, but she had no doubt that she could be _content _with Sasuke. She deserved less, so she would simply have to be satisfied.

Neji stared deeply into Hinata's eyes, assessing the newfound knowledge, and then he knew he'd wasted a trip. She was much happier here than she had ever been at the Hyuga compound, though whether or not that happiness came from Sasuke he was not sure. In the end, though, it didn't matter where her euphoria came from so long as it was there.

And it was here, in the Uchiha home.

Slowly, Neji nodded. "Okay."

The look of happiness that crossed Hinata's face sent a smile to Neji's lips. Hanabi laughed as she ran to hug her sister, and this time Hinata returned the gesture.

"What are you doing now, Nee-chan?"

"I was c-cleaning the kitchen,"

"Can we stay to help her, Neji-nii-san?"

He nodded dully.

Hanabi smiled widely as she once again grabbed their hands and led them to what she knew to be the kitchen. The sight that met shocked them all.

Itachi had Sasuke in a headlock while Sasuke was fruitlessly punching his older sibling on the stomach. The floor was covered with soapy water and broken dishes were scattered around the kitchen. Both Uchiha's looked up upon hearing Hinata's shocked gasp.

Silence.

Neji turned to her with worried skepticism. "Are you _sure _you want to marry into this family?"

* * *

Shimi-chan: Okay, not exactly record time, but I finished it. I like how this turned out. This story is wrapping up nicely. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Shimi-chan: **Thank you to all who keep reviewing my story!!...even though I keep being late with the updates...Sorry. I got a new laptop!! Soooo updates...uhh...might be sooner? Heh, maybe. Oh well here you go!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen:

Ino stood behind the counter of the flower shop, tracing imaginary circles on the wood of the counter. No one had decided to buy flowers today; the shop was completely empty. She sighed, blowing at the strand of hair that she could never seem to keep along with the rest of her ponytail. Though it was a slow day, she knew that she was not getting out of work.

Then, quite suddenly, her day took a turn when she overheard two old women passing the shop.

"Did you hear about that Hyuga girl?"

"No, actually I didn't. What do you know?"

"She's wedding an Uchiha!"

Ino's eyes widened.

"No! Which one?"

Ino held her breath, hoping for a name to come, but the old woman only shrugged before they both went out of earshot. She hadn't realized she'd been leaning forward until she fell back on her heels, eyes still wide.

She would definitely have to talk to Hinata tomorrow…the moment she got off work.

---

Hinata sat out in the yard, for once in her life completely at peace. She thought it maybe had something to do with Neji's approval, something she'd always secretly strived for. Her father's approval mattered too…but she'd learned long ago that it was simply wishful thinking. For once it didn't bother her; for once life was okay.

Sasuke was out on a mission with his team. She remembered that she'd gone to see him off, just this morning, at the gates of Konoha…

_Hinata walked meekly behind Sasuke carrying a bundle in her arms, trying hard to mimic his long and proud strides, only to come out with steps much too Hinata-ish. She finally relented, preferring her own style to his, telling herself silently that her legs were simply too short to follow his steps. He seemed to be ignoring her, but she'd learned after many years of this that it was simply his manner. A smile gently tugged at her lips, because she knew he was probably as shy as she was. At least that's what Fugaku had told her…_

_"Hinata."_

_His deep voice broke her from her thoughts, causing her head to jolt upwards. "H-Huh?"_

_He turned to face her. "I don't want you training with Itachi anymore."_

_She blinked, genuinely confused. "…B-but…"_

_"No buts. I'll train you when I get back."_

_"But…S-Sasuke-kun, h-he and m-my father h-h-had a d-deal…"_

_"I don't care; I don't want you alone with him. Hinata, you shouldn't trust him."_

_Funny, Neji had said the same thing._

_But, the problem was that she did trust him. With all of her heart. "S-Sasuke-kun…I d-don't think th-that I-Itachi w-w-would do anything…"_

_She could see the depth in Sasuke's scowl, but he didn't get a chance to answer for once they'd made it to the gates of Konoha, Naruto briskly interrupted their conversation. _

_He came and put an arm around Hinata's shoulders, causing a blush to rise in her cheeks. "Yo, Hinata-chan, you came all this way just to drop Sasuke-teme off?"_

_Blushing still, she gently removed his arm from her shoulders and nodded. She then thrust one of the package she'd been carrying into his arms, looking at her feet to hide her embarrassment. "H-Here you g-g-go, N-Naruto-kun."_

_He blinked. "What's this?"_

_"Th-They're p-p-peaches. I-I-I'm s-s-sorry I a-ate y-yours…"_

_He grinned. "I already told you it was okay, but thanks!! I love peaches!"_

_She didn't need to look up to know that Sasuke was not pleased. She'd anticipated that reaction, and so she shoved a second package into his arms. His eyes widened a fraction, but only enough so it was another one of those 'you had to be right in front of him' things. _

_"Y-your m-m-mother t-told me th-that y-y-y-you l-liked t-t-tomato a-and r-rice balls, s-so I…"_

_There was once again no expression on his face, but the gentleness was in his eyes when he took the neatly wrapped bento from her. "…Thanks."_

_And this would have been quite an endearing moment if she hadn't insisted on bringing a bento for everyone. But Hinata is simply way too kind. She nodded shyly to Sasuke before taking out two more bento's, handing one to Kakashi-sensei and handing the other to Sakura. Kakashi smiled appreciatively, but Sakura was confused to say the least. _

_"…What's this for?"_

_Hinata fiddled with her fingers, keeping her gaze on the floor. "W-Well I j-j-just th-though y-you'd all b-be hungry d-during your m-mission…"_

_Sakura looked slightly ashamed, feeling inferior to Hinata on the 'impress Sasuke' scale. The look of like, though small, was in his eyes when he looked at Hinata and it enraged her. Growling, she shoved the bento back to Hinata before skipping over to where Sasuke was standing. _

_"That's okay, Hinata-chan," she chirped happily as she clung to his sleeve, "I'll just share with Sasuke-kun."_

_"Hell no, you won't," Sasuke stated evenly, prying her hands off himself. "Just take the lunch she made you."_

_"But Saassukkee-kuun!! I like rice balls and tomatoes too!!" she whined. _

_He scowled in obvious disgust, but she chose to ignore it. Instead of wasting his time trying to explain to Sakura just how much she annoyed him, Sasuke glanced around her to look at Hinata, trying to survey her reaction. Just as he expected, she was staring at the bento in her hands, looking positively miserable. He sighed in annoyance, annoyance that was directed at the easily depressible girl he was sort of responsible for. _

_He approached her casually, ignoring the look of rage that took its place on Sakura's face. He grabbed the bento from her. "I'll eat them both," he stated coolly. _

_She blinked up at him in surprise. "But…But…"_

_He silenced her with a kiss that she was too shocked to return. He made it a point to glance at his gaping team as he pulled away, placing a possessive arm around her waist. _

_"You worry too much, wife."_

_Hinata turned a dark red at the stunned expressions coming from Sakura and Naruto. _

_He smirked down at her one last time, saying "Remember what I told you," before he joined the rest of his team. Hinata watched their retreating backs, unable to stop herself from blushing, before she remembered what it was she had put in Sakura's bento. _

_Strawberry cheesecake. Sasuke hated sweets…and yet she knew he would eat every bite. _

Hinata smiled silently to herself, a gesture she was growing far too familiar with, before she heard steps approaching her. She turned around to see her intruder; Itachi's onyx eyes met her pearl ones. She couldn't explain the blush or quickening of her heart's pace.

'…you shouldn't trust him…'

'…Do not trust him so blindly…'

Both had been warnings people she admired had given her. Of course they were worried, and maybe they had reason to be…after all, Itachi had never even pretended that he was a kind-hearted person, never showed any signs of positive emotions…

She shook the thoughts from her head, a little ashamed with herself. How could she feel so lowly of Itanii-san? How could she let herself be so easily influenced? She'd known him for so long, and now she was allowing herself to be brainwashed and blinded by other's judgments. There was human in Itachi, just as there was demon in him. She'd seen it.

But, even with her own comforting words, the blush didn't recede as he sat next to her wordlessly. The silence was thick between them, as it had been lately, and she felt every moment weigh heavily on her heart. They had once been so close…even their silences had been comfortable…but there was nothing but awkwardness in this particularly long silence. She found herself fiddling with her fingers nervously and playing with the two long strands of hair that lay across her cheeks, acts that she hadn't done in his presence since they'd first learned to get along.

He could sense her anxiousness. Looking sideways at her, he saw her timidly playing with her hands. He knew that to be Hinata's defense against shyness. He sighed inaudibly, knowing he was the cause for her discomfort. As he had been lately, what with all the times he kept snapping at her. He finally decided to break the silence.

"It's getting late."

She squeaked at the sound of his resonating voice, penetrating the still darkness unexpectedly. Blushing shyly, she turned away so she wouldn't have to meet his gaze. "I-I kn-know…I-I-I'll b-be in i-in a m-m-minute…"

Silence reigned once again.

"Training still applies tomorrow morning." Itachi stated, not sure of what else to say.

She tensed considerably, which didn't go unnoticed by him. "You should know that by now," he said, but it came out more coldly than he'd intended.

"…S…S-Sasuke-k-kun d-d-doesn't w-want me t-t-to t-train w-with you…"

Her voice was low, so low that he didn't hear the guilty tone she'd used to say that. His fists tightened.

"I don't care what he says. You're training under me."

"…B-But, S-S-Sasuke i-is m-m-my b-bethroth—"

"I never asked you if you wanted to be trained by me, not even when it started. I told you, just as I am doing now."

She lowered her head at his harsh tone, tears already welling in her eyes, but it was at her own inability to sever the ties between Itachi and herself, as she knew she had to.

"…H-he is n-n-not th-the only o-one…"

"Neji."

She nodded.

"I'm training you."

"They…They s-s-say th-that I sh-should n-not t-t-trust you s-so blindly…"

In an instant, he was suddenly grasping roughly at her shoulders, pulling her forcefully into a standing position. His eyes bore deeply into hers, eliciting a blush from her porcelain cheeks.

"Do you?"

She blinked, not hearing his words so much as she heard the hum of his voice. "H-huh?"

"Do you trust me, Hinata?"

His words registered, but she found that she couldn't reply, for her mouth was suddenly dry.

'…you shouldn't trust him…'

'…do not trust him so blindly…'

As if reading her thoughts, his grip on her shoulders tightened, causing her to squirm uncomfortably in his grasp.

"They could be right, you know," he said with a hint of malice, though it was not directed at her.

Not that she could tell the difference. Her pale eyes widened but she was still unable to tear her gaze away from his.

"I…Itanii-san…"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

She flinched at his tone, tears beginning to cloud her vision.

He seemed unaffected. "Do you trust me? Even if I could break you easily? Even if I could kill you at any moment?"

"…I…I th-think that i-i-if y-you w-w-w-wanted t-to, I w-would al-already b-be d-d-dead…"

"Stop avoiding the question."

She ignored the shiver that ran down her spine as a gust of wind blew against her now moist face. The sight of her tears only served to further aggravate Itachi, she knew it in the way his eyes were beginning to glow red and she felt an emotion she'd never felt when it came to Itachi: fear. A second shiver moved through her, having nothing to do with the cold.

"Answer me, damnit!"

She could clearly see he was getting angry.

'…you shouldn't trust him…'

'…do not trust him blindly…'

A sob escaped her lips, despite her efforts to hold it down. She just did. She shouldn't, but did all the same.

Slowly, so he wouldn't misinterpret her sob, she nodded. "I…I d-d-do t-trust you, Itachi."

He didn't relax one bit, and there was so much disbelief in his eyes that Hinata couldn't help but be a bit hurt. Didn't he trust her?

"Liar. I can sense your fear."

"…I…I a-am s-s-scared…b-but, I kn-kn-know th-that y-you'd n-never h-hurt me…I j-just…" she sobbed, unable to stop the tears from gushing from her eyes. "P-p-please…d-don't b-be m-m-mad at me…"

He visibly calmed, the hands that were once gripping her shoulders painfully were now holding on to them only loosely, the eyes that were glaring red at her moments ago were now the usual ebony stoicism. Hinata bit her lower lip in an effort to stop further cries from escaping, lowering her head in shame, knowing that this was somehow her fault.

He watched on helplessly, unsure of how to calm her. Her sobs were now racking her entire body, though he could see she was trying fruitlessly to fight them off, and it was his fault again. Why did he have to ask her that stupid question? He already knew the answer. Damnit, what was he supposed to do now? He had no ideas on how to calm a weeping girl. Where was Mikoto when you needed her?

"You should be afraid," he finally said, though it held a touch of softness that had not been present in his previous words. "I could hurt you."

She slowly opened her eyes and stared up at him. "…I d-d-don't…n-no. I kn-kn-know y-y-you'd n-never h-h-hurt m-me…"

His expression softened as he lightly grazed her cheek with his thumb. He slowly bent to kiss her forehead, causing her to gasp lightly. He smirked at that and let go of her shoulders to walk back into the house.

"Make sure you get some rest," he called back to her, "Because you'll need that energy to train."

---

Exhaustion welled in every bone in her weary body, as it usually did after training sessions with Itachi. The night before had not been mentioned betwixt the two during the spar, but there was a mutual agreement in there somewhere. Oddly enough, the situation that should have made things more awkward ended up dissolving all the uneasiness on Hinata's part and the need to snap at her on Itachi's. Though Sasuke and Neji's words still rung in her mind, she had to make them understand somehow that Itachi was not a bad person.

Furthermore, if Sasuke was going to marry her, he'd marry all of her. Including the people she liked. Itachi was as much her brother as he was Sasuke's, she reasoned. Therefore, he shouldn't have a problem with their relationship. Itachi was a brother to her, and the love she held for him was not something she was willing to give up.

The last empty space in her heart had been filled now that she'd made up with Itachi. True happiness seemed only a heartbeat away and suddenly she didn't dread the day she'd walk down the aisle. To the contrary, she couldn't wait to finally live out a peaceful life with Sasuke. She couldn't wait to see the look on her father's face when she produced a healthy Hyuga-Uchiha heir, couldn't wait to see the approval she so longed for. She couldn't wait for the family reunions, catching up with Itachi and the wife she didn't doubt he'd have by then would be enjoyable.

'…you shouldn't trust him…'

Oh, but she did. She trusted and loved her Itanii-san ever so dearly.

She went to exit the house, on her way to Konoha to meet (secretly) with Neji and Hanabi, since Hiashi had firmly forbidden them from visiting her at the Uchiha compound. They'd be easily recognizable if they did come by, and since the Uchiha's already knew of the restriction, news would travel back to Hiashi. Smiling still, she opened the door…

…to be met by a fist.

Training with Itachi didn't leave her defenseless, so she was able to catch the fist that was aimed at her face before it could land. Hinata blinked when she saw Ino, the owner of said fist.

"Oh! Hinata! I'm so sorry! I was just about to knock!"

Hinata flushed, letting Ino's hand drop. "I-It's okay…"

"Hinata," Ino said, suddenly going serious, "We need to talk."

* * *

Shimi-chan: OoOoOh. Cliffy. (Shrugs) Oh well, too bad I'm discontinuing this story…………Just Kidding! I would never do that to you guys. The next chapter will come soon. I'll probably have already finished the story by the time I post this chapter. I hope that my talent isn't diminishing...it kinda feels like it...


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Shimi-chan: **Wow...you guys are so nice. Seriously, your reviews are inflating my head. I can hardly get through the door now. Haha just kididng. I appreciate it! And reasons for my early update is that I have a laptop and guess what?? I'm done with this story! Writing it, I mean...well, almost. I might rewrite some stuff. But here you go, you guys deserve it! Oh and, hahahaha, sorry about the little 'discontinuing' joke. Haha, that's all it was, a joke. I would never do that to you guys!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: 

Hinata blinked at the sudden change in Ino's demeanor.

"Y-Yes, Ino, w-w-what is it?"

Ino leaned in closer, looking all directions to make sure no one was secretly listening to the private conversation. "Not here," she said, barely above a whisper.

Hinata cocked a confused brow. "Um…I-Ino-chan, is everything a-all—"

"Not here!!" she whispered again and proceeded to drag Hinata by the arm out of Uchiha grounds. Hinata was too confused to even think straight, so she couldn't do much except follow Ino and stutter incoherently her protests. Finally, after they'd cleared themselves of Uchiha property, Ino released Hinata and turned to ask her a question.

But Hinata unknowingly interrupted it. "I-Ino-chan, p-p-please! I h-have to g-go meet N-Neji-nii and Hanabi-chan!!"

Ino seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Oh…Sorry I abducted you like that; I guess you have to go back then…"

"No, I-I m-m-meant th-that w-we were g-going to m-m-meet at Ichikaru…"

"Great! I'll walk you!!"

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably.

"…Unless you don't want me to."

"N-No! Th-th-that's not it, it's just th-that I d-don't th-think Neji-nii would…"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, Hinata-chan! Now come on, you wouldn't want to keep them waiting!"

Ino was off before Hinata could protest, leaving the heir no other choice than to follow along silently. Maybe she was a bit too cooperative…? You think? On the way to the village, Ino couldn't help but feel slightly silly for making the trip over. There was no way an Uchiha would've proposed, and there was no way Hinata would've said yes even if one had. She knew that Hinata saw Itachi as more of a brotherly figure (and then there was the fact that the bastard would never set his pride aside to propose) and that she didn't even like Sasuke (Same as Itachi). So there was no way she could be engaged to an Uchiha, it simply was not possible. Those old women were probably puffing a little too much, that was all. She smiled at the thought.

Hinata, on the other hand, had noticed Ino's unusual silence. Normally whenever she walked with her friend, she would chatter with no end in sight. Today, however, she was deathly quiet without so much as one topic brought up.

_'Maybe…maybe I offended her in some way…?'_

She picked up the pace a bit so that she could look Ino in the eye. She was wearing an extremely serious expression, as if she were deep in thought.

"…I-Ino-chan…?"

Apparently her voice went unheard, because Ino didn't even turn in her direction. Hinata continued to stare at her friend quizzically and arched a delicate brow when Ino's expression suddenly morphed into a stupid grin.

"Um…I-Ino-chan? A-are y-you well?"

Ino snapped her head to Hinata's side. "Huh?!"

Hinata reared back at her friend's sudden response. "I, uh, y-you were s-s-smiling strangely…"

Ino grinned. "Oh, that! It was just that I heard this rumor that—"

"Nee-chan!!!"

Ino was interrupted when a young Hinata-looking girl tackled Hinata, causing her to stumble slightly backward. Hinata managed a small chuckle at Hanabi's excitement and looked up to greet her cousin.

"Neji-nii!"

Neji had on a rare smile, though it was small, as he approached the two Hyuga princesses. Ino sighed, shrugging off what she was going to say to Hinata. Hinata probably would have freaked out at the knowledge that someone was spreading rumors about her. Probably Sakura…but that was unlikely, considering what the rumor was.

Hinata was blushing embarrassedly at her siblings. "N-Neji-nii, c-c-can Ino-chan c-come w-w-with us to eat…?"

Neji seemed to notice the blonde kunoichi at that moment. He turned to glare at her icily, but it was useless because she'd trained herself to ignore blatant disgust. After all, she had crushed on Sasuke, king of all coldness. When he found that her dazzling smile outshone his hateful glare, he turned it on his younger cousin. But that proved a waste of time as well, because he simply couldn't say no when her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears.

Sighing, he conceded with a simple nod.

Ino and Hinata exchanged smiles and then the entire gang went over to the ramen bar known as Ichikaru. The sat down in a table by a 'window' (more commonly referred to as the hole Sasuke threw Naruto into when Naruto wouldn't let Sasuke leave the place) where they ordered and then…there was silence. An awkward silence that surrounded the three, the only movement being the tree Hyuga's exchanging anxious glances. Ino, who was not nearly as distracted by Ramen as a certain someone else, noticed it immediately, but took it as a sign to stay quiet until someone said something.

"…Does she know?" Hanabi questioned.

Hinata's face flamed up as she vehemently shook her head.

"Well, are you going to tell her?"

She shook her head twice as hard as before.

Hanabi blinked. "How come?"

"I…I-I don't w-w-want…"

Neji narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I though you said you wanted to do this."

Hinata's eyes widened. "I-I do! I-It's just th-that…"

"If you wanted to do this you wouldn't be ashamed of it."

"I'm n-not ashamed! I j-j-just…"

"What are you guys talking about?"

The three looked at Ino as if she had just walked in.

Hanabi turned her face so she could stare at her sister innocently. "Why don't you tell her, Nee-chan?"

Hinata fidgeted uneasily. "N-No…I r-r-r-really don't want t-to…"

"Why not?" Neji demanded. "You're not changing your mind, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Then what's the problem? Are you ashamed?"

"N-no, it's j-just that—"

"Hey Hinata, is it true that you're marrying an Uchiha?"

Three sets of pearl eyes widened and stared at Ino.

Ino really, sincerely, hadn't believed it. Well, okay, she had at first when she'd heard the old ladies say it, but when she went to confront Hinata about it she hadn't even bothered to ask. It wasn't possible! It had already been explained! But…what else could they be talking about? They might be talking about something completely different, but…it sounded so right…

Meanwhile, there were a million thoughts buzzing through Hinata at the same time. How did she know? Did Sasuke tell her? Who else knew? From what Hinata could tell, the only people that knew were their families…and, thanks to Sasuke's stunt, Team 7. Who would they tell? Well…except for everyone. But they weren't even back yet!

Hinata opened her mouth to answer, but that's when she noticed something strange. It was extremely silent. Wasn't this a restaurant? It was noisy as hell seconds ago, but now—

…Now every female within earshot was leaning forward in their chairs so they could hear Hinata's answer. Including some outside of the restaurant. Some girls were crawling through the previously mentioned hole even as they spoke!! Konoha and privacy apparently do not mix.

Hinata bowed her head and nodded.

There was a collective gasp within the crowd, which attracted even girls outside of earshot, and soon everyone had scooted themselves closer to the shy heiress, all demanding the same thing: Who?

"Ssk," Hinata mumbled incoherently.

Everyone got closer until they were practically suffocating her. "WHO?!"

"S-Sasuke…"

Dead. Silence.

Which lasted all of five seconds. Soon, there was an array of reactions from even the most dignified women. Some shot up and danced, thanking God it wasn't their Itachi who was to be wed. Some glared icily at the young heiress, whispering to each other how she wasn't good enough. Some sighed regretfully, but put on their brave faces and congratulated Hinata nonetheless. Since they had husbands anyway. Ino…she was in a state of shock.

"You're…marrying…Sasuke?"

Hinata blushed and frowned regretfully. "…Y-yes…"

Ino flumped back into her chair and just sat. "Since when?"

"I-It w-w-was an a-a-arranged m-marriage!"

Slowly, a smile began forming on Ino's lips. "So…you're getting married?"

Hinata blinked for a moment, but Ino's smile was contagious. "Y-yes."

Ino laughed gleefully. "You have to let me help you choose a dress! And your hair, let me do your hair! When I'm through with you, you'll be even prettier than at Sasuke's party!"

Hinata inwardly sighed, glad that Ino was taking the news the way she was.

"Do you love him?"

The question caught her off guard and she practically choked on her breath. She stared off into the crowd, where some random girl she couldn't identify had asked the question. Soon the crowd of rowdy and jealous girls had backed her up and began shouting things like 'yeah' and 'well?!'

Hinata was silent, too shocked to answer. And, in all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure. She looked to her siblings for support, but the curiosity their eyes made it evident that they weren't going to back her up this time.

"I…w-well I…"

Ino leaned forward, gently taking Hinata's hand for comfort. Her eyes were filled with reassurance. "Hinata, do you love Sasuke?"

"I…w-well I…"

"Do you even _like_ me?"

Oh. Fricking. Crap. That had to be her imagination. Because fate's sense of humor can't be that twisted. Hinata can't be fate's personal rag doll. It simply wasn't possible.

"Well? Answer the question."

Then again…

Hinata turned slowly, hoping against hope, but she knew even before she saw the familiar built man currently standing before her. It was Sasuke, of course.

If the restaurant was dead silent before, it was now beyond that. No one even breathed.

Hinata made a horrible realization. She now had everyone's undivided attention. She never _had_ liked that. Attention was bad enough, but to have the attention of every female in Konoha…not to mention the fact that most of the attention was hostile. Her blood had rushed from her head from the permanent blush she had been wearing, her eardrums were still suffering from the shrieks the girls had let out earlier, and then there was the way she'd been shaking her head so passionately. Hinata did the only thing she saw fit.

She passed out.

--

When she awoke she was in her room, in the Uchiha house. She glanced around for a while, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Unfortunately they didn't have a chance.

"You're awake."

Hinata's heart was suffering so much in this house. She shot up into a sitting position with a startled gasp, and stared in the direction the voice had come from. She could make out Sasuke's pale face, but his black eyes and hair blended into the back round, staring at the wall in front of him. What the hell was he doing sitting in her room in the dark? At least he hadn't crawled in bed with her…

Hinata shook such thoughts from her head. "I-I'm sorry S-S-Sasuke-k-kun…" she whispered, knowing he'd remember.

He shrugged indifferently. "Hn."

Which was Sasuke code for 'I'm still pissed.'

Hinata bowed her head. "E-e-everyone was s-s-s-staring at m-me…"

He finally glanced at her. "Aa."

Which meant 'I get it now.'

Hinata breathed a silent sigh of relief, perhaps a little too soon.

"So, do you then?"

Crap, crap, crap, crap, and the list goes on.

Maybe if she only played dumb. "D-do I what?"

That didn't work. The only thing it succeeded in was making Sasuke mad, that much was obvious in the way his eyes narrowed and he turned his head back toward the wall. Hinata felt her heart sink for a while, wishing she could answer his question. But how could she, when she wasn't eve sure herself? For a moment, she was filled with grief and sympathy, because she knew how much it hurt to be misunderstood and unloved. She stared at him from between her bangs and an idea struck her. For once, she wanted to be the one to make a point.

"S-Sasuke…Do you love me?"

His head whipped to face her faster than she had ever seen. There was surprise in his eyes, which came as a shock to Hinata because he was usually so indifferent. She knew that he'd tell the truth; he wasn't the type to lie just to make her feel better.

"…No."

She didn't reply, and she tried her hardest to keep her face emotionless but she just wasn't good at that sort of thing. You'd think that she'd pick something up from hanging out with the people she did, but nope, nothing doing. Instead, she couldn't contain the relief that showed plainly in her face. Not because she wasn't slightly hurt by his answer, but because Sasuke's answer had just gotten her in the clear.

"But I like you a lot."

When did he get right in front of her? Had her mind really been in La La Land for that long? She blushed at the sudden proximity, not to mention the words he'd chosen, heart thumping painfully against her ribs. He was getting closer…no, no, he wasn't supposed to do that! He was close enough now! In fact, he was too close now! Hinata had to say something, make him go away!!

"…I th-th-think I l-l-l-like you t-t-too…"

That was not supposed to come out. It was _supposed_ to stay in a thought bubble.

Sasuke smirked, he was already sitting on the edge of her bed. He was leaning forward on one arm, bringing his face closer and closer.

This time Hinata was prepared. She'd never actually kissed anyone before, though she'd been kissed plenty of times. Timidly, she followed the movements of Sasuke's lips, cheeks warming almost to an impossible degree while her heart was due to give out at any moment…

Then they both heard the door sliding open. Hinata wasn't one to ignore the sound and continue kissing, besides which a very small part of her was grateful for being interrupted.

"What. The. Hell. Are. You. Two. Doing."

But even that part of her shut the hell up at the sound of Itachi's voice.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Hahaha…I'm evil. Ta-Dah! Whatcha think? 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Shimi-chan: **Another quick update! God, I rock! Haha, just kidding, there goes my ego again...sorry...so anyway, I don't think you open this to listen to me ramble, sooo...here's the story!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen:

Hinata sucked in a sharp gasp at the sight of Itachi standing at the doorway. His stance was casual, not betraying any emotion at all, but his jaw was set and his eyes were blazing with obvious rage. Hinata couldn't help but shiver slightly. One Uchiha would not leave this room alive…

"I will not ask again."

"I was kissing her before you interrupted."

Hinata almost felt like dying when she heard Sasuke say that. Because, of course, _challenging_ the angry Itachi was sure to make things so much better. And as expected, Itachi advanced in the room, fists now clenched angrily at his sides. Sasuke didn't even bother backing off of Hinata, which meant that she was directly in the line of fire. Fire that came in the form of Itachi.

"I knew that part, foolish _little brother_." He deliberately emphasized the 'little brother' to make Sasuke mad. And it worked, because Sasuke was now mirroring his older brother's cold glare.

"You have no business touching her. Now get off."

Sasuke's arm had somehow found itself around her lithe waist and it only tightened at Itachi's command. "She's my wife."

Anger flickered in Itachi's eyes. "Not yet."

"Um...g-guys…"

As usual whenever they got into their fighting matches, neither paid her any mind. As a matter of fact, Sasuke was now standing and had positioned himself directly in front of Itachi so he could retort directly into his face. They could easily get to each other, and so it wasn't long before their volumes were rising. Hinata could only watch on helplessly as the argument was escalating into an all out fight, and she still had no idea what had sparked it!

She stood slowly and approached what we'll call the battle ground with equal slowness. Neither had notice her approaching yet, which was a good thing, and she managed to get there just as they were finishing up their insults and were about to begin throwing punches.

Itachi's relaxed pose had long since turned and shown what he was actually feeling for his brother at the moment. "She's not a whore you can have fun with."

Sasuke, too, had anger spelled all over his body. "She's my fiancée and we both know it'll happen eventually."

Itachi bristled. "Not if I'm alive, hell no it won't happen."

"What the hell do you care anyway?"

"I won't stand around and watch you defile my little sister."

"You say that as if we all haven't noticed already."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"You're acting way too overprotective for a 'big brother'. It's obvious you want her for yourself."

Hinata blushed at that remark, and it must have hit a special nerve in Itachi too, because instead of retorting he looked straight at her. Sasuke followed suit. She noticed with painful realization that Itachi never denied it…

Suddenly, surprising everyone, Itachi grabbed Hinata at the waist and jumped clear of Sasuke before anyone had a chance to react. Sasuke tensed hostilely when he realized Hinata was now in danger.

"Let her go!"

Itachi merely shot him an off-handed glare before he disappeared with Hinata, who was too flustered and shocked to react. As the vision of Sasuke turned into a memory two single thoughts ran through her head.

_"…you shouldn't trust him…"_

_"…do not trust him so blindly…"_

--

When her vision became solid again she found herself in Konoha. She was still stunned at the sudden turn of events, and thus adjusting to the change in scenery when Itachi began tugging her arm, effortlessly leading her somewhere she was sure she didn't want to go.

But despite it all, she allowed herself to be dragged off to where he wanted them to be, which turned out to be an alleyway. Who knew they even had those in Konoha? Point being, they now had all the privacy in the world, which was not necessarily a good thing.

Itachi gave her arm one hard yank, causing her to lose her footing and end up in front of him, where he promptly crushed her back against the wall, popping that invisible bubble marked 'personal space'.

"Itachi!" Hinata squeaked, flushing madly at the attention.

There was no readable emotion on his face as his arms found her waist and pulled her closer than she already was. She couldn't help but squeak again, causing him to press a finger to her lips to shush her. They could be caught at any moment.

"I-I-Itachi wh-what are y-y-y-you d-d-doing?!"

"You don't want to marry Sasuke."

It's something she'd been thinking about nonstop, but hearing him say it made all her attempts at convincing herself that she liked Sasuke enough to marry him fly out the window. But she had to, for her own honor and for her father's respect. For her respect in herself. So she had to deny his claim.

"I-I-I d-d-do…"

Those words sound almost prophetic.

But they sounded untrue even to Hinata's own ears, though she'd tried hard to keep the waver out of her voice. Damn that stupid stutter.

"Stand up for yourself. Tell them what you want and you'll get it. I'll help you."

Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the constant flicker in Itachi's eyes. It was almost as if someone was flicking the switch in his eyes. On, off, on, off, thus went the emotions he allowed himself to show. Hinata's switch was stuck on 'on' and she couldn't help but show the pain his words had caused her. He'd never offered to help her, though he'd done it more than once by pushing herself to be the best. She brought her hands up to his chest in a fruitless effort to push him away, hoping that with some distance she could think clearly, but he only caught her hands and brought them above her head while pushing her harder against the wall to she was still mashed into his body. She stifled a gasp, but as usual her blush betrayed her embarrassment.

"I-Itachi p-p-please l-let me g-g-go…"

"Tell me you don't want to marry him."

She looked into his eyes and gasped when she realized that he was showing it all to her. Hiding nothing. His eyes were switching between anger, sorrow, hurt, and…hope? That was the dominant one. Hope. The urge she had to tell him the truth was indescribable, but it would compromise her too much. She was filled with guilt. The one time he opened up to her, she couldn't return the favor. She had to lie to him, just this once, and hope he would still love her…

"B-but I do." She managed to choke out.

And just like that he went back to his cold demeanor. His eyes shut, as if some strong wind had closed the book she was looking into mere moments ago. His arms fell limply to his sides and he stared at her so coldly she almost thought he would strike her. Not that she didn't deserve it.

Instead, he stated icily "Then have fun living your life with him. And without me."

He was gone just as quickly as he'd done everything else.

Only then did Hinata allow herself to stoop to her knees in defeat, eyes wide with the shock of what she'd just said. Tears were falling freely from her face and soon her face contorted to agony and she cried into her hands, Itachi's words and actions running through her mind incessantly.

She cried for her inability to say no. She cried for Sasuke, she knew this would hurt him. She cried for her siblings, because she would no longer be part of their family. She cried for the Uchiha's, because she knew they loved her and she only wished she could be happy with them. She cried for her mother's life, one she'd barely had time to cherish. She cried for her father, because she knew her mother's death had hurt him and still affected him. Least of all, she cried for her own fucked up life, though that should have been the dominant reason, it only took up part of her sorrow. Most of it came from Itachi, her sorrow for him, because despite his demeanor and his desire to hide all signs that he's human, she knew he cared. And she knew that she cared too.

--

"Ahhh!! That was delicious!!"

"Naruto, stop being so loud!"

Naruto rubbed his ears at Sakura's shriek. "You're calling me loud?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What's that mean?"

He grinned nervously, taking a few steps away from the ticking time bomb named Sakura. "Um…N-nothing, Sakura!!"

"I told you to shut up, Naruto!"

Naruto sighed. How did a conversation about Ramen turn into an argument? He complied with her demands and shut his mouth, choosing not to retort, instead turned his face away from her.

Sob, sob, sob

"…Naruto, are you crying!?"

He turned back to her with a cocked brow and shook his head. "I thought that was you."

Sob, sob, sniff, sob

"Shhh…" Sakura put a finger to her lips and listened intently to the noise, hoping to find its source.

Sob, sniff, sniff, sob!

"It's coming from over there!" Naruto shouted, pointing his finger in the direction of an alleyway. Neither wasted any time and jogged over to said alley, where they soon discovered a figure hunched over, crying into her hands. They both recognized her instantly.

"Hinata?!"

She whipped her head up at the sound of her name and blushed, realizing she was no longer alone. She tried to stop her sobs long enough to talk to either of them, but the agony was fresh on her mind and she could only choke out an inaudible greeting. Soon her face was back in her hands and she was scooting away to hide her shame. But neither would have that, so they both approached her.

Naruto put an arm around her shoulders, but she shied away. "Hinata, what's wrong? What happened?"

She couldn't reply.

Sakura came over, pity written on her features and she instantly forgot that she was Hinata's rival at the moment. "Hinata…c'mon, please don't cry…"

Hinata allowed herself to be held by both of them as they attempted to calm her down.

"…I-Itachi…"

Naruto's ears perked when he heard a name and he instantly went tense. "Itachi? That bastard did this to you?"

She answered only with another hiccup.

Sakura lifted her face to look into her eyes. "Hinata, did Itachi hurt you?"

She stared at Sakura's emerald orbs, filled with genuine concern, and she shook her head guiltily. "I…I h-h-hurt him…"

Sakura and Naruto exchanged incredulous glances. "…You did?"

She nodded as a fresh onslaught of tears began forming behind her lids and she tried to swallow the sob crawling up her throat. "I…I w-w-wish…I h-hadn't…h-h-he l-left…"

She started crying again and the two others exchanged another glance, a worried one this time, before they wrapped their arms around the weeping Hyuga, whispering words of comfort whenever they felt they should.

_'I'm sorry Itanii-san…' _

--

It had been at least a week since he came home. Hinata was sitting in a chair staring out the window, supporting her head with her hands, hoping that she might see his familiar figure trekking toward the house. She wouldn't mind if he yelled at her, tripled their training, made her eat only healthy foods and not a lot of it, she just wanted him back. She just wanted to talk to him again. But it was a selfish wish and she knew it.

When Naruto and Sakura had brought her home, she was a mess, and Sasuke had been so mad that he'd planned on tracking Itachi down and 'kicking his ass' as he's put it. But Hinata had promptly explained it was her own fault (smartly leaving out the details on how it was) and he'd calmed. He wasn't satisfied with her answer, and she wasn't sure if he believed her, but he'd stayed. Now she wished he'd gone. That way Itachi may be home.

_'He liked me. He liked me. He liked me.' _

She figured it out. She wasn't so clueless that she didn't pick up the hint. There had to be a reason the wedding made him so mad, and that gave it away. That and the way Fugaku had talked to her when she came home. He'd explained Itachi's actions, almost as if defending him, and she knew he was right. She just didn't know how to react to the news. She still had to marry Sasuke.

A sudden jolt passed through her when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She yelped lightly, but calmed considerably when she saw Sasuke smirking down at her.

She blushed and smiled shyly. "O-Oh, hi Sasuke-kun…"

"It's not your fault."

Her smile faded and she turned her head so she could look out the window again. She lay her head in her arms with a sigh. "I know. But…I-I…"

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze when she didn't finish. She couldn't help but feel bad. She knew her behavior was upsetting the entire house, and she knew she had to stop. For once she had to be the strong one.

It was time to let go.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Sniff Poor Itanii-san...Poor Hina-chan...It's all the frickin authors fault! Oh wait...that's me...TT


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Shimi-chan: Eh. I have nothing to say. So I'll reply to your reviews cuz it looks like I got some funny ones again...

**Hinata-dono, **You can go ahead and send those man-eating pandas (despite the early update), for they shall have no effect on me. As you can all plainly see, I am a _woman_.So go ahead and try it if you feel you must. Haha, okay that was lame I'll admit it...

**Itami Yatake, **Hmm, name sounds familiar...Oh yeah, you cried for Itachi-kun in the last chapter too. Well...after this, you'll only cry more...unless I'm only saying that to raise your anticipation. It could be either one. You'll have to read to find out.

**maniacle.woman, **I've never been complimented for my AN before...much appreciated! Haha, I try, I try...that sounds too proud, huh? Eh...I'm still working on the big-head thing...

**Baka Kyoko-Chan, **I'm glad I'm actually any good at writing sad scenes. I'd thought I wasn't...

**Nimiko**, Yes, one person _will _get their hearts hurt...and then the author will get herself hurt by the fans of the loser...

**ItachiUchiha17**, I'm going to assume your penname means you are Itachi and that you're seventeen years old. Which would be why you loathe the decision she made. But she was under pressure! Her decision making skills are almost zero _without _pressure, imagine what negative number they'd be with it! Anyway, her decision making skills may or may not improve...find out...

**Hinata6, **Unfortunately, because I don't plan on writing a threesome as some fan (forgot who) suggested incessantly, an Uchiha will get hurt. And then posibly a Shimi-chan...and also Hinata-chan, she will hurt too.

**Halinee, **...Someone cried? On my first Naruto fic? Only my second fic ever? And the first was a total dud? And someone CRIED? ...I'm proud...I can make 'em laufh AND cry...-

**crystaldrops14, **Even I'm not sure where Itachi-kun ran off to...just far, far, away.

**Venny9o6, **Though it may look like it in other chapters, I'm not a Sakura-hater. I'm actually sad that I had to portray her that way for this story to work. You know what else? I don't like how I made Hiashi-san look...it was necessary, I know that, and not completely unaccurate, but I feel bad for the old man. I'll try to make them both look nicer in future fics. Hina is my fav character! And...I like Sasuke...and Itachi-kun...and Sakura too! In that order.

**Inimi, **...I hate you...because you were so right that I had to sit there and stare at your review for a while for it to process. Yes, Itachi-kun shall do as you predicted...only..in a special kind of way...haha, read to find out...!!

**kRaZyChangeoFeArt, **Hinata is ever the thinker! She'll get out of it!...Ok, so it's partly due to other characters...

**Jayfairchild**, Thank you! I'm glad you like my story.

Notice how I started answering so originally and ended with a cliche author thank you...? Eh. Who cares. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen:

Hinata sighed loudly at her reflection. She stood before a full-length mirror in her mothers' wedding gown within one of the most famous wedding chapels in all of the Land of Fire. It had been a week long ride over by carriage, but since the Uchiha's and Hyuga's were so influential they both reused to have low-key wedding. It had to be big.

Many people had come with them from Konoha, including the entire rookie nine and their sensei's. Sakura had eased up on Hinata since that day, actually congratulating her and Sasuke for their engagement. Currently, Hinata was being pampered by a few maids who were arranging her hair, dress, and makeup, basically doing all they could do to make her gorgeous. Even she herself couldn't deny that she looked good. Some would say her life was perfect.

Then how come it didn't feel that way to her?

"You look beautiful, Hyuga-san."

Hinata smiled half-heartedly at the maid. "Th-thank you."

She received a curt bow in reply and soon the women in the room scampered out, leaving Hinata alone with her thoughts. She brought a hand to her hair, lightly touching the tiara that her mother had worn during her wedding before running her fingers through one of the indigo locks that fell over her face, much in the same way Itachi did whenever he was frustrated. Thoughts of him were quickly banished by the young heiress, soon to be nothing more than the bride to an Uchiha. She might have cried at that, but weeks of doing so had left her no more tears to squeeze out. Instead she closed her eyes tightly and sighed, willing this day away.

A light knock on her door startled her out of her trance. She lifted the skirt of her dress and ran over to the door, heart thumping. Maybe it was him, maybe he forgave her…

He heart sunk when she opened the door to be met by a set of snow-white eyes instead of the onyx black she'd been hoping for. But she masked her pain with a smile.

"H-Hanabi…? Sh-shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"This. Is. So. Gay."

Hanabi was standing before Hinata in the fluffiest, ruffliest, most girlie dress that would make even Barbie cringe. Hinata barely managed to stifle a laugh as she eyes her younger sibling, whose dress was more expressive than her own. But she was unable to stop the corners of her lips from quirking upward, at which Hanabi flushed indignantly.

"Hinata!!" she whined, just like any twelve-year old would. "Do I have to wear this?!"

Hinata smiled pleasantly. "Hanabi, you look adorable."

"I don't wanna look adorable, dammit! I want to look like you!"

Hinata blushed. "Th-thank you…"

"Hinata!!" Hanabi screeched, stamping her feet and indicating to her dress with her hands. "Fix it!!"

Hinata muffled another giggle. "I-I'm sorry Hanabi-chan…Mikoto-san chose that for the flower girl."

Hanabi grimaced. "Was she high when she did? If so—"

"Hanabi, go back and wait to start the ceremony."

Hanabi huffed, but she obediently shuffled back toward the doors. Hinata didn't hold back her smile as she shut the door gently and took one look back toward the mirror. She was getting married. Suddenly her heart leapt, and she started feeling panicky.

She was getting married.

"Oh…God…" she whispered, a frown etching onto her features. "I...I'm g-g-getting married!!" she shrieked, flushing a deep crimson.

--

This was so stupid. Of all the things he's ever done…and it was ironic, because when he'd thought of this plan it had seemed flawless and perfect, but now that he was going through with it…well you were reading, right?

This was just stupid.

He stared at the pink-haired kunoichi indifferently as she struggled against her bonds, screaming what he had no doubt were obscenities against the muffling ropes at her mouth. And her, she just had to be his only option. Ino was far too angry at him for what _he'd_ done to _Hinata_ (Note the heavy sarcasm) to spare him a word. Of course he could have knocked her out…but pretending to be such a cheery person didn't sit well with him. Then there was Tenten, the second one on the list, but if he'd captured her he'd have to deal with Neji. He didn't need that kind of trouble right now, he was trying to be inconspicuous and Neji would not help in that. Temari was the last person he'd considered, but he'd shut it down with a quick no. She didn't know him well enough to come over when he demanded it, and since he wanted to do this as sneakily as possible he knew she wasn't the right one.

Sakura was just perfect for the job. She was upset about the wedding, so he'd of course found her sulking by herself. Good. Then there was her partner, as a bridesmaid: Lee. She was already cruel to him, so Itachi didn't have to say much to fool people. Great. Finally, and here's the best part: she came over. No hesitation whatsoever. He just called out her name, nodded once in an indication for her to come, and she walked over with confusion written all over her face.

Which was why right now she was on the ground inside a broom closet, tied from head to toe and stripped of all her weapons and any means of escape. He allowed himself only one more moment of staring at her distastefully before he slammed the door shut. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. The things he did for that girl…and she'd damn well better appreciate it. Because right now he was about to do something really, really stupid.

And with one final thought of massacring anyone who dared remember this day, he put his hands together to form the seals necessary in order for this to work.

--

The chapel was decorated beautifully with different shades of blue and white to signify the union all members came for. On the grooms side, all sorts of Uchiha's gathered, all whispering silently amongst themselves and all excited for the upcoming ceremony. On the bride's side, many of the elite within the Hyuga clan sat, all silently awaiting the arrival of their heiress without much movement or conversation. Freshly cut gardenia's lined the isle leading up to the front, filling the entire room with its captivating fragrance.

Hiashi stood just outside looking like the epitome of seriousness. He, too, was awaiting the arrival of his daughter, but for a different reason. He was to walk her down the aisle. The ceremony was due to begin any minute, and though he hid it well he was growing increasingly impatient. It seemed his daughter was purposely taking her precious time in preparations. He looked up toward the front, where the minister was practicing his lines, and saw that Sasuke was clearly growing edgy as well. That child better hurry before he was forced to send Neji after her, like usual…

"F-f-father…"

He barely heard the small whisper, which agitated him. He turned to scold his daughter for being so late, but the words died in his throat. Scratch that, they didn't even make it past his thought process. For there was his little girl, two words that could no longer be used to describe her.

She was a woman now.

Hinata was in a full length, purely white gown that made her eyes seem more lavender than colorless. It was a halter top with strings in the front as opposed to a zipper in the back and it was laced up with silk strings, soft to the touch. Her hair was pulled up into a complicated bun with only the two longest strands framing her face and a diamond tiara resting atop her head. Her cheeks were colored a really deep crimson, that hardly seemed necessary…oh no, wait, that was just her blushing. Her lids were colored delicately with a light pink color that matched her lips. Her head was turned downward, but she looked up at her father through her dark, thick lashes. She looked stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, and…

Just like her mother.

"Why are you late?"

…So much for showing pride.

Hinata lowered her eyes, bowing slightly. "I…I'm s-sorry, f-f-father. It t-took l-longer th-than expected…"

He didn't bother replying her, instead instructing Hanabi to get ready for her debut (if you could call being flower girl that). She didn't say a word as she moved to obey him, but Hanabi gave Hinata a reassuring smile when she was sure her father couldn't see. Hinata managed a frail smile back before lowering her eyes back to the ground in expectance of the scolding she was sure she was going to get.

"You…"

Hinata blinked, confusion and curiosity causing her to look up instantly. Her father never paused in his speech. That was _her_ trademark.

"You…look…"

Hinata's lips twitched upward a bit as she felt tears well in her eyes.

But he turned away, toward the closed doorway. "The ceremony is about to begin. Get everyone together."

She frowned immediately, blinking back tears that were threatening to fall for a different reason than first intended. Nevertheless, she managed to choke them down, opting for the small break her father had offered instead. She bowed once more before rushing off toward the small crowd of bridesmaids and groomsmen chatting. They all looked up at her entrance.

"Um, g-guys, w-w-we're about t-to start…"

Ino smiled warmly at her best friend. "Hinata, you look gorgeous!"

Tenten nodded eagerly in agreement. "She's right, Hinata! Pink looks good on you."

Hinata blushed and smiled shyly. "Th-thank you…"

"Hey, Hinata, thanks for letting me be a bridesmaid. I know we don't know each other that well…"

Hinata directed her smile to Temari. "I kn-know you wanted t-to be w-w-with Shikamaru-san…"

Temari nodded appreciatively.

Hinata looked at them for a moment, brows furrowing. They were missing one, and she was almost afraid to ask because she knew which one, but…

"…um…Wh-where's Sakura-chan?"

They all exchanged confused looks before shrugging for her.

"I believe she went to take a walk in the back, Lady Uchiha."

Hinata blushed furiously at Lee's comment, but uttered her thanks before going out toward the yard so she could find Sakura…and possibly apologize. When she made it out toward the small yard, she did see Sakura in the lilac dress all the bridesmaids had to wear (Ino's idea, she said it would match the surroundings), but she had her back to Hinata.

"…S-Sakura? A-are you okay?"

Sakura whipped her head over her shoulder quickly, clearly startled. She stood there for a moment, staring at her with a deep intensity that made Hinata fidget in place. Sakura took a bold step forward, and for a moment Hinata thought she may strike her.

Instead Sakura said something…just plain weird. "Hinata, you look beautiful."

That's normal, right? Before Hinata had 'stolen' Sasuke, compliments were common coming from Sakura. But…What the hell was wrong with her voice? Sure, it was Sakura's voice, but it was so…Hinata didn't even want to think of an adjective for it right now.

She smiled politely, though it was strained. "..Th-thank you, S-S-Sakura-chan…"

Sakura didn't reply, which was also unusual; Sakura would have normally smiled cheerily and then said 'You're welcome' or something. She wasn't supposed to be…was she…glaring at her?! No, this was…weirder than a glare.

As if Hinata wasn't anxious enough, this happened to be her breaking point. She laughed nervously.

"S-Sakura-san, w-w-w-we have t-t-t-to go…w-w-w-w-we're st-st-starting…"

Suddenly Sakura's eyes narrowed, which was the most normal thing she'd done today. She was, after all, in love with Sasuke. Although Hinata felt guilty, she turned and went back in quickly, turning around only once to see if Sakura was following. And, whether it was good or bad, she was.

So finally the reason they were there could begin.

--

Hinata straightened, looping her arm awkwardly with her father's as the doors opened dramatically. Tenten and Neji entered first clearly pleased with having been incorporated into the wedding. Then came Shikamaru and Temari, Shikamaru putting off his somber walk to look at least somewhat presentable and Temari happily clinging to his arm. Sakura and Lee came next, Lee looking as if he had just won a million dollars and Sakura emotionlessly walking next to him, though she did seem displeased at the fact that she had to hold his arm. The Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ino and Naruto, came last putting on their best faces.

Hanabi had been frowning darkly up until the moment her turn came, where she mustered up all the happiness she'd ever felt in her lifetime to smile. She pranced down the aisle, and with every step she took she calculated the revenge she was sure to extract upon Mikoto. After Hanabi came Konohamaru, the ring bearer, and he handed the box to Sasuke before standing off to the sides along with the rest of boys.

Finally, the bride. All eyes were on the father-daughter pair of Hyuga's as they walked down the aisle to the beat of the Wedding March. Hinata blushed as she tried to avert her gaze, but no matter where she looked she caught someone's eyes. Kiba grinned at her with a 'thumbs up' sign, and beside him Shino gave a curt nod. She blushed as she turned away, catching her own side of the chapel. All the white-eyed members were wearing the patented Hyuga Mask of Stoicism (batteries not included), which unnerved her enough that she turned away from them too.

So she decided to look up toward the front, catching eyes with Sasuke. This time, though, she found she couldn't look away as she had with all the others. She'd never before been physically attracted to Sasuke. Sure, she wouldn't deny that he was handsome, and she wouldn't say he wasn't 'her type' (whatever the hell that meant) she just never saw Sasuke like that. That changed in the five seconds it took her to find his dark eyes.

His hair had been combed out so that it fell over his eyes while some of it was tied neatly back. He looked sort of irked at this, but he gave nothing away as he stood in his usual impassive stance, hands in his pockets. He was wearing a black suit and slacks (was that…Armani?!) that contrasted Hinata's outfit harmoniously. Though she wasn't looking at her own outfit right now…she was blatantly staring at him, and being who she was she couldn't cover her surprise.

Since when had Sasuke been…_hot_?

By the time she'd made it to the front Sasuke had noticed her stare, and was smirking superiorly. As if she didn't have enough reasons to blush. She offered a shy smile before looking back up to the priest expectantly. By the end of his small speech, in which he seemed to use the word 'love' a seemingly pointless number of times, Hinata was blushing furiously while debating the urge to bury her face into her father's arm, her nearest source of comfort at the moment.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

Her father didn't even bother to look down at the daughter who would no longer be his own, nor did he hesitate when he clearly stated "I do."

Disappointment surged through her as he didn't even kiss her cheek lightly, didn't even look down at her, he only detangled her arm from his and pushed her gently toward Sasuke. She smiled once more, trying to ignore the pang that leaving her father was causing her. Because, despite it all, he was her father.

She must have been pretty transparent, because the priest smiled gently to her before continuing with the charge. Sasuke looked down at her, still smirking, which eased her apprehension a little. This time her smile came naturally.

Throughout the charge and pledge, Hinata could see Sakura glaring. Not that she wasn't expecting it…Sakura did love Sasuke. The weird part was that Sakura seemed to be glaring at Sasuke and not Hinata…freaky…But once both the charge and pledge parts of the ceremony were over with, Hinata and Sasuke found themselves facing each other as the 'vow' part of the ceremony began.

The priest began his prepared speech. "Do you, Sasuke, take Hinata, to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part."

Sasuke gazed at Hinata fixedly, smirk a thing of the past, replaced by a serious expression. "I do."

Hinata was by now so embarrassed she might have killed herself if given the opportunity. But seeing as such luxuries seemed to be avoiding her, she opted for finishing the wedding as quickly as possible so she could be alone…well, with Sasuke. Little did anyone notice Sakura behind her making hand signs…

The priest repeated the vows for Hinata to accept.

She tried to hold his stare as he'd done her, found herself looking away slightly.

"I-I-I-I—"

In the five minutes it took her to utter those simple words, she was interrupted. Actually, the entire ceremony was interrupted. The cause? That would be the loud bang of the sleek, wooden entrance doors hitting the wall with what could only be described as the loudest bang in history. Possibly louder than the Big Bang.

And Sakura stood at the scene of the crime, glaring coldly at the bride and groom, causing everyone to tense.

There was a long stretch of silence, where all eyes turned from Sakura up front to Sakura at the door.

Sakura at the door pointed to Sakura up front with an accusing finger. "That's an imposter!!!"

All eyes turned toward Sakura at the front, which had made no negation. 'She' was scowling darkly at the other Sakura. "You should have stayed in your bonds; you would have been safer."

And instantly they all knew which Sakura was real.

"I…Itachi…"

Hinata's wavering voice was easily heard in a room where even breathing at the moment was frowned upon. Imposter Sakura stared at Hinata for a moment before a puff of smoke erupted where she stood. When it cleared, it was indeed Itachi that stood in Imposter Sakura's place. His arm shot out, latching on to Hinata's before pulling her against him, causing her to gasp.

"This ceremony is over."

And though she tried to struggle this time, it was all in vain, as was the room screaming her name. She saw Sasuke try to jump to her, she saw her teammate's spring up and run towards her, she saw her cousin clenching his fists, only to be held back by Ino…

And that was the last thing she saw, Ino smiling like she always had, mouthing out silently among the disruptive crowd 'Be happy.'

And then they were gone, gone to who knows where. There was a long, tense silence.

"…So I guess this means the wedding's over, huh?"

Naruto now received the beating originally meant for Itachi.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Thank you Icy, for helping me with the idea for this chapter!! She helped me come up with the whole 'Itachi being Sakura' thing. And be grateful, all you, because I was in a writer's block before that! T-T Those are tears of joy! I like my own ending...haha, thinking of it made me laugh. 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Shimi-chan: There's a reason for this early update...other than the fore-mentioned ones. That is that, in the last chapter, I put that I liked the ending. What I _meant _was that I liked the ending of the chapter. That last chapter was not, I repeat, _not _the last chapter of this story. Although, admittedly, there are not many more to go. This is not the last chapter either…I don't know what to say…It's the lemon chapter. This will be my first lemon, so needless to say I'm a little nervous…but oh well, just let me know EXACTLY what you think, don't sugarcoat it. If I suck, your review better consist of exactly that: It SUCKS. If it's good, then please let me know too, so I know I'm doing something right. So…here goes.

Oh yeah, this is not a rape. It's a seduction.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: 

Hinata rose from her deep slumber, her blurred vision keeping her from being able to tell where she was. But even as her eyes came into focus, she found herself unable to read her surroundings. All she saw was a wooden roof, and similar wooden walls. She shifted a bit uncomfortably, a moan escaping her lips, and she realized that she was in a bed somewhere. Looking down she saw herself in her wedding gown, lying over sheets as white as said dress…

Wait…a…minute…

"Sasuke!!" she yelped loudly, springing up in the bed, only to have the sudden head rush send her back down. She groaned again, turning over into a more comfortable position while whimpering at the dizzy feeling settling in her head.

She needed to think. Minutes ago she was at her wedding…right? That _was_just minutes ago…wasn't it? Or maybe she was already married to Sasuke and her mind had simply blocked it out. Yes, that had to be it. She managed to open her eyes again, and this time she rose slowly to avoid another dizzy spell. Somewhat hidden in the shadows stood her new husband, she could tell by the ebony tresses and indifferent position in which he stood. She smiled weakly.

"S…S-Sasuke…wh-where are w-we?"

"I'm tired of being mistaken for him."

The cold voice made her jump as memories suddenly came flooding back into her mind. "Itachi…" she whispered.

He stepped into the luminescence flooding through the slightly open window, bringing to view what she should've noticed before. It was Itachi. She brought her knees to her chest and scattered backward toward the headboard until she felt her spine connect with it. She didn't know exactly why she felt scared, since she never had been. Then again she's never thought he'd take her against her will. She should've listened to Neji and Sasuke.

_'Stupid, Hinata, stupid…'_

Her efforts were in vain, as he drew nearer to her still and the wall was stopping her from putting any further distance between them. She could feel her heart ramming unmercifully against her ribcage as she tried to steady her breathing.

"W-Wait I-Itanii— I m-mean, Itachi, w-w-wait a minute!!"

"Why?" he asked, though it sounded more like a command than a question. It looked like one too, accompanied by his relentless approach.

She quickly got up from the bed, ignoring the fact that the room was spinning long enough to scurry across the cabin to try and open the door. No good. It was locked from without. She turned back toward him only to find that he was directly in front of her. She screeched in surprise.

"Y-Y-You s-s-scared me…"

"Hn," was all he said before he lowered his head to capture her lips.

She instinctually jumped back, which caused her back to hit the door with enough force to send her crumbling forward into Itachi's waiting arms. He picked her up easily and started toward the bed.

"W-w-w-w-wait!!" she screamed. "Wh-what a-a-are y-you doing?!?!?!"

"What do you think?"

She struggled against him, though they both knew she stood no chance. "N-No, Itachi!!"

He threw her on the bed, despite her protests, only to turn back around and walk across the room. Blinking, pulled the blanket around herself, never taking her eyes off Itachi's back.

"…Th-that's it?"

He paused long enough to look over his shoulder. "What did you think?"

She blushed, lowering her eyes to her hands. "N-Nothing…"

He smirked as he pulled a chair over to her bedside. She tensed at first, bet even if he'd kidnapped her he had yet to cause her any harm…unless you counted her aching back, which was her own fault.

"Lay down."

And she did, instantly.

He smirked again. "Go to sleep."

She hesitated only a moment before pulling the covers over her head and turning her back to Itachi so she could rest peacefully. It wasn't long before her breathing had steadied and she did indeed fall asleep.

Itachi watched her side rise and fall slowly, contemplating his next move. His imagination hadn't gone this far. He'd only worked on capturing her, but he'd never though past ending the wedding. He'd allowed himself to get in over his head. He couldn't keep them here forever. Well, actually, he could, but they'd need food eventually. Plus, even though he liked being alone, he knew she wasn't like him. She was his opposite, and she desired human companionship besides his own. He had to do something…he couldn't take her back now, because then they'd just re-do the wedding, only with more security. Itachi did not want to be caught in a never-ending cycle of capturing her, taking her back, so on. Not now that he had her. The last step was to convince her that Sasuke wasn't right for her…but how…

As he watched her he could think of only one thing. But the outcome could be less than he wants. Depending on her reaction, he could have her to himself or else he could lose her forever. Even with the possible consequences, he knew it was a chance he was willing to take. After all, there was no way Sasuke would want to marry a tainted girl…

--

Twice. That was twice that Itachi had taken Hinata from right under his nose. What kind of husband was he if he couldn't even protect his own wife? How pathetic was that? Pathetic enough for him to think maybe it wasn't right for him to marry Hinata just yet…he needed to get stronger first, strong enough to prevent the kidnap of his wife from happening right before his eyes.

Sasuke shut his eyes tightly to prevent even the tiniest speck of light from invading his lids. Fugaku and Mikoto could only exchange worried glances between their son and each other, both unsure of how to comfort him.

But that didn't stop them from trying. "…I'm sure she'll be fine, Sasuke."

"No, no she won't. You're forgetting who she's with. Last time this happened she came back upset…who knows if she'll even come back this time…"

"That's your brother, Sasuke! He would never…"

Mikoto trailed off with a silent gasp of shock when Sasuke looked up and glared at her, sharingan bared and swirling. This was no annoyed glare or exasperated glare he usually got away with; this was a deadpan glare.

"Mom, I know him. You know him. We all do. She may not come back in one piece."

Though she tried to find it in herself, she couldn't rebuttal that. He was right; she could see it in her husband's eyes too. And all too suddenly, her worries turned from Sasuke to Hinata.

--

She had the blanket up to her chin as she sat up apprehensively so only her moonstone eyes were visible to him. At least it seemed that way, with the way he couldn't tear his own away if his life depended on it. And maybe it was the way the sheets offset her eyes and complexion, making her seem less pale, that made him unable to stop his approach. But even so, he didn't need his ninja senses to tell him that she was scared of him now; that was written all over her tense body. That would change very soon though…

"I-Itanii-san, y-y-you're s-s-scaring m-me…"

She noticed her mistake in addressing him only when she saw his face darken, and then it was far too late to correct herself. Instead of bravely facing him, which may have made him so proud he left her alone, she ducked quickly under the covers. And it worked beautifully! Hinata was safe!!...For the whole five seconds that it took him to reach the bed and begin tugging on the covers. Panicking, Hinata tightened her hands into fists and pulled with all the strength she could muster. She didn't expect him to let go so easily; the blanket flew forward to land lamely on her face. Hinata fell limp for a moment at her own stupidity, but quickly flew back into action when she felt his hands slithering slowly up her legs and under her skirt.

"I-Itachi!!! S-Stop it!!"

Though still blinded by the bedspread, she kicked fruitlessly at his hand with her other leg, but he just grabbed it and put it to his shoulder. She felt the mattress bend when he started to climb on the bed…

"N-n-n-n-no!!!"

Tears started welling in her eyes as she felt him start to climb on top of her. Though she tried, she couldn't free her leg long enough to kick him off. The only thing she could be grateful for was that he'd stopped crawling under her skirt. Still though, he was fully on top of her now, leaving her no other thing to do but shake and cry.

And so she did.

If he thought she was scared before, there was no doubt about it: she was downright terrified now. Of him. Why? Why, damnit, WHY?!?! He didn't want to do it this way. Each of her sobs was cutting through his insides worse than any kunai could.

"P-Please s-stop…"

His eye twitched at her pleading voice, but he ignored her request. Instead he lifted his hand and pulled the sheet down and away from her face. Her milky-white orbs were wet and wide, staring at him with such fear that Itachi almost just jumped off and took her back home.

I said _almost_, though.

He couldn't seem to stop staring at her, and though he knew he shouldn't, he lowered his head to capture her lips and quell his need for this newfound addiction. Her response was as instant as when she jumped backward into the door, except this time she had no space to fight. She tried to lift her hands to push him off, but he just grabbed them and put them at either side of her head. He pulled back for a moment to look at her once more before going back and trying to kiss her again.

And though she tried, she couldn't seem to bury her head deep enough into the pillow to shake him off. Her eyes were shut tightly so she didn't have to watch him do this to her, but some tears still managed to squeeze out. She made extra sure not to move her lips so he wouldn't have the satisfaction of a response from her, but she couldn't stop the trembling or whimpers from happening. After what seemed like hours on her part of having him just lay on her with his lips pressed onto hers, he finally pulled back and she thought he might have been done with her.

She really should have known better.

He buried his head into her neck, eliciting a gasp from her to which he merely smirked.

"I-I-Itachi, I d-d-don't want to—"

"Liar."

She shivered, feeling his lips move against the sensitive flesh on her neck. "L-Liar??"

"Liar," he repeated. "You want this as much as I do." He nibbled on her neck a bit, causing her to moan against her will. He smirked. "Maybe more."

Hinata shut her eyes again with a deep sigh. "I-Itachi, Sasuke won't—"

"Forget about him."

She shivered again at the warm breath tickling her sensitive flesh, and yet she tried to stay strong. She tried to pull her wrists from his hold, but it was all in vain. She was far too distracted by the way he was ravishing her neck and it wasn't long before she was writhing underneath him in both inner pain and outer pleasure. Though she tried to keep her mind focused on Sasuke and on her own family, Itachi was too good at this sinful act. Soon she was doing exactly as he's commanded, forgetting it all.

When he felt her reacting underneath him, he released her wrists and traveled slowly down toward her chest, head still in the crook of her neck. She was panting now, and though she knew she was free, she felt herself wrap her arms around his neck. He smirked at her actions, but wasted no time as he started untying the strings that held the front of the dress closed. Her breath hitched in her throat, and though her mind was struggling urgently against this, her body, her heart, they knew what she wanted. What she may have wanted all along.

Itachi was already hard as a rock, and Hinata's little gasps and purrs were only making him hotter. He finally pulled off the last tie and opened the front of her dress, delighting in the way her nipples hardened through the lacy-white bra she was wearing. He unclipped it expertly, freeing her breasts while her blush darkened and she closed her eyes in embarrassment.

"Hinata. Look at me."

Slowly, she peeked beneath one lid. His face was really close...but that shouldn't matter anymore. From the waist up, she was naked. All he had to do was pull the dress down and she'd be sporting only her panties. And yet...this was all so new to her, she couldn't help but be completely embarrassed at every advancement he made.

Itachi gently wiped away some of the residue on her cheeks from her previous tears. She felt her heart skip a beat; staring at his eyes, having him so up close...all she had to do was lift her head a little and their lips would meet...and she didn't know why, but she had the urge for that to happen. This time she'd let him...if only he'd kiss her again...

For once, seeing that he had no intention of doing anything but stare at her lustily, she took the initiative and lifted her head to meet his lips. She felt him tense for half a second before he growled deep in his throat and swiftly took control of their kiss. Hinata struggled to keep up with the new, fast pace he set at first, but she soon got used to it. Even delighted in it. She felt his tongue against her lower lip, but, being new to this, she was unsure of his desires. He gave her lower lip a little nip, causing her to gasp; and he took that opportunity and moved his tongue into her mouth, which only caused her eyes to shoot open in surprise before slowly closing again. Her back arched and she let out a little whimper of protest at not being able to feel his skin against hers...

He must have read her mind, because he pulled away from her long enough to strip his shirt and throw it somewhere in the room before finding her lips again. The feeling of her breasts crushed against his hard abs made them both shiver and moan simultaneously. He pulled the skirt of her dress down until the whole thing was completely off, where he promptly threw it across the room, maybe where his shirt lay. Maybe not. She moaned again, arching her back more against him, wanting more of this but not sure what to do to get it.

Hinata felt Itachi grab her hand and tug it downward...and being completely at his mercy by this point, she made no move to stop him. He led her hand to a spot on his pants, and she furrowed her brows in confusion at feeling a bulge there until she realized what it was.

It was...she was touching...he'd led her to...

She gasped and pulled away in her surprise, and she tried to tug her hand away but his own held her there. She opened her mouth to protest but before she could get a word out, Itachi locked lips with her again, making her forget what she was going to say.

"Hinata," he murmured against her lips, "We're not stopping."

She shivered at that. _'That's okay, Itachi...I don't want to stop...'_

--

She'd felt like this rarely in her lifetime...and never to this degree. Usually you could define her life as, well, let's face it, just plain pathetic. Every once in a while she'd feel contented. But here, now, lying next to a sleeping Itachi after an entire day of lovemaking (insert blush here) she felt...strangely...happy. Ecstatic. She almost felt like laughing out loud at the irony of it all; it was past her wedding night, it would've been her first day as a married woman; she expected to be depressed beyond measure today. Instead she was lying in bed, happy, next to her fiancé's brother...this was the last way she'd expected to pass this day.

She felt him stirring behind her and couldn't stop the soft smile from appearing on her face. She felt his hot breath as he sighed against her neck and his arms tighten around her small waist as if she wasn't close enough. Smile widening, she turned in his arms so she could face him. His eyes were partly open, and she almost wanted to laugh. In all her years of knowing him, she'd never seen him like this; completely unguarded. Then again, there were a lot of things she'd done in the past few months that she'd never done with him...hell, things she'd never done with anyone.

"Morning."

She smiled warmly. "Good morning."

"...Don't tell me you're a morning person."

She giggled. "Sorry..."

"Hn. Hinata..."

She closed her eyes peacefully, loving the sound of his voice as he spoke her name. "Hmmm?"

"Marry me."

Her eyes widened to an almost impossible degree. "...Wh-what?!"

He nuzzled her neck. "Marry me, Hinata..."

She felt her pulse jump as he repeated his question. It hit her then how wrong this whole thing was. She should be in Sasuke's bed right now...oh God, she'd allowed herself to become tainted...how could she so carelessly throw her most precious gift away?! Sasuke deserved so much better! How could she?! And to Itachi...his brother...if only she didn't love him so much...

She blinked at her own train of thought. She...loved him? She thought about it...and she knew it to be true. She loved him so much, she always had...why had it taken her so long to figure it out? If only she'd known sooner, maybe she could've avoided this whole thing...

"You're thinking too much."

His voice cut through her thoughts. "Huh?"

"There're only two things you should be considering. You and me. That's it."

She smiled. He was so...right. "Mmm...I..."

He pulled away so he could look at her large, moonstone eyes. "Hinata."

She blushed, but smiled. "I...o-ok..."

He leaned forward, lips hovering above hers. "Was that a yes?"

Her lips parted unconsciously, already panting. "Y-yes..."

He kissed her.

Time for round...um, round...oh, dammit, they lost count.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Hahaha...embarrassment...It took me sooooo long to write and finish this chapter because of the lemon...and it ended up being more of a lime than anything. I couldn't do the whole thing, so sue me. I don't care. It's 4:11 in the morning but I'm not tired...I guess I'll get started on the next chapter.

Additional Note: This is not the last chapter either. That's right, I'll never let you all live it down. XD...Though...it was my fault...T-T


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Shimi-chan: I lied. I didn't start this right after finishing chapter seventeen. I was going to...but then my brother walked in and made me go to sleep. So I did. Oh well...

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: **Does anyone know how to say Mother and Father in japanese? I kinda know...but I'm not entirely sure. I've see Okaasan, Oka-san, Okasan, and Kaasan for mother and Tousan, Otousan, Otou-sama, and more for father. Please tell me, I need it for a new fic I'm working on! It'll be SasuHina...to make up for this, you could say. And don't tell me unless you're sure. I was going to post my new story along with this chapter, but I want to be clear on that first...

Anyway, here you go.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen:

For some reason, she'd assumed this was over. After all, she'd slept with Itachi, agreed to marry him, basically given up her would-be life in favor of the one he had to offer...but she'd forgotten that she'd eventually have to go back. Strangely enough, she'd assumed that they would stay here forever...never considered how preposterous that idea was...but now, two days after her interrupted wedding, as she sat up staring at her surroundings she came to a realization...

They couldn't stay here.

The others were probably already worried sick about them. And there was no doubt in her mind that her father was probably furious at her. Even though she'd done nothing but get kidnapped...eh, unless you counted the personal, physical, spiritual, and overall general ties she now held with her captor.

Point being, their time was up. She dreaded the idea of explaining all this to everyone, especially Sasuke, but it had to be done...

"Itachi," she whispered softly, poking gently at his sides to rouse him.

Well, she got pretty close to poking him, but his hand caught hers before she had the chance to touch him. She yelped in her surprise, which caused Itachi to groan and bury his head deeper into his pillow.

"Dammit, you're so loud...what the hell do you want?"

"...I..."

Itachi sighed, yanking hard on her hand so she fell forward to land on his chest. His arm lowered to her waist to prevent her escape...which was a wasted effort at this point. She wasn't going anywhere, and they both knew it.

"What do you want?" he asked again, sounding a little less irked.

Though just a little bit.

"Itachi…we can't stay here forever..."

She regretted bringing it up instantly when she felt him tense beside her, the arm at her waist tightening to an almost painful degree. But she didn't dare say anything else, instead choosing to wait for him to speak.

Finally, he sighed, bringing his free hand up to run it through his hair. "I know."

She detangled herself from him and stood up from the bed, holding a sheet up to cover her still naked body. She could feel him staring at her, and though she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help the blush that rose to her face.

"You...You should g-get dressed too..."

Hinata didn't look at him to see if he'd complied, opting for gathering her clothes. Somehow they'd all ended up in very different places...which let her know that Itachi had a good throwing arm.

Oh God, what was she doing here? Now she had to go back to her family and explain all of this...and she'd agreed to marry Itachi! What had she been thinking?! She couldn't...she just couldn't...she was practically already married to Sasuke. God, Neji would be so disappointed in her...she didn't know if she could bear to see the look on his face when he found out, or anyone else's for that matter. And she could already hear her father yelling at her...she was so stupid...

Hinata felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes when she finally laced her dress up. She couldn't take this anymore. Why couldn't she just disappear under a rock for a while, no Sasuke, no Neji, no Hizashi...

No Itachi.

She brought her trembling hand up to her face, tentatively touching her cheek to feel the wetness there. Did she really love him so much?

"Hinata."

She wiped at her eyes quickly before he could see. The last thing she needed right now was for him to get mad at her. She tried smiling before she turned to face him.

"Y-yes?"

He was staring at her seriously, causing her smile to falter. He knew she was faking it, she could tell. Her smile dropped, replaced by a quivering frown.

"I-Itachi...w-we shouldn't h-have...f-f-father, S-Sasuke...N-N-Neji...th-th-they...I-I'm s-s-sorry..."

She gave a strangled sob, powerless now against the onslaught of tears that assaulted her. She buried her face in her hands, crying her heart out, half-expecting for Itachi to leave or reprimand her or some such thing. She felt his approach but she couldn't quell her sobs even knowing that Itachi was probably mad at her now. In fact, that made her cry more. Through her fingers and tears, she saw the blurred image of Itachi lifting his hand and she flinched.

But instead of hitting her like she'd half-expected, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her to his shoulder. The action was so unexpected from him that her sorrow only multiplied in knowing that this wasn't right and it couldn't last. Even so, she ended up wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself.

She blubbered, "W-w-w-we shouldn't h-have d-d-done this...th-they're g-going to b-b-be s-s-so d-disappointed in m-me..."

"For what?" he growled, "Who cares what they think?"

"...W-we shouldn't h-have...I w-was supposed t-to marry--"

"Shut up. They don't matter anymore."

"Th-they d-d-do to m-me..."

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away slowly so he could look at her. "I'm the only thing that should matter to you."

"I-Itachi..."

"You said you'd marry me. I'm not letting you go anymore, Hinata."

She lowered her head, shaking with held-back tears. "Itachi...I c-can't..."

"Yes, you can. You will."

She brought her hands over his and tried to pry them off her shoulders, but he wouldn't budge.

"Hinata, look at me."

She looked up shyly.

He brought his head down and touched his forehead to hers. "You're mine."

Despair showed clearly on her face. "I...I c-can't be, Itachi...Th-they'll...th-they won't l-let us..."

"Dammit, Hinata, forget about them! What do _you _want?"

She blinked. Not many people asked her that question...and even the few that did only pertained to small decisions. Right now, he was doing something that had never been done. He was putting her life in her own hands.

"I...I d-don't--"

"Yes, you do know. Tell me, Hinata, what do you want?"

She flushed, embarrassed, "I want you."

There. She did it. A full sentence, no stuttering no pausing. Mission accomplished. And when she saw Itachi's eyes actually soften and the unmistakable twitch of his lips upward, she knew she'd done it in more ways than one.

He pulled her back into his arms. "Good."

--

"I see them! I see them! Onee-chan's back!"

Hiashi, Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke, and Neji were all sitting around in the living room, discussing the tragedy at hand when Hanabi's shouts had interrupted them. They all shot each other hopeful looks before sprinting into action and rushing to the window to see for themselves. And sure enough, there were Itachi and Hinata, walking up to the house. Hanabi squeezed through all the adults and ran out the door to greet her sister. The others soon followed.

"Hinata! Hinata!"

Hinata started at her sister's voice, having been lost in anxious thoughts. She saw as her younger sibling ran with her arms outstretched, tears in her eyes. Seeing her sister cry melted her heart, and she felt tears welling in her own eyes as she opened her arms to her sister. Hanabi jumped at Hinata, and was easily caught and spun by the older.

"Hinata!" Hanabi blubbered, burying her head in Hinata's neck. "Hinata, I missed--whoa!!! Is that a hick--?"

"I missed you too, Hanabi!" Hinata butted, giving her sister a warning glance that she instantly understood. But the glare in her eyes clearly showed that she didn't approve.

Neji and Mikoto came next, Neji hugging his cousin while Mikoto obsessed over her son. Fugaku, Sasuke, and Hiashi were all standing a little ways away, watching the scene.

"...I'm sorry, Hiashi-san. I don't know what got into my son."

Hiashi scowled. "I do. Don't blame your son; clearly my daughter seduced him in some way."

Fugaku fell silent. "...I highly doubt that Hinata is capable of--"

"Why else would someone like your son be interested in such weakness?"

Sasuke felt his fists tighten, but he said nothing. It wasn't his place to do so, and luckily he didn't have to. His father came in handy when he was serious.

"Hinata is far too innocent to try to seduce my son, and he is far too strong to fall for any kind of seduction. What we have here is something deeper than seduction."

Before Hiashi had a chance to retort, Fugaku went up to greet the two runaways.

"I'm s-sorry for worrying you, Neji-nii."

Neji glared at Itachi over her head, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Did he hurt you, Hinata?"

She smiled. "No, Neji, actually...h-he didn't..."

"Are you sure? Cuz if--"

Neji straightened suddenly, without warning, staring at Hinata with wide eyes. Hinata was confused by his actions for a moment before she thought of...

_"Whoa!! Is that a hick--?"_

She meeped, turning red with embarrassment while popping up her collar without anyone noticing. It wasn't too hard, sine the other three were now scolding Itachi.

"H-Hinata...you..."

"Shh!! Neji-nii, p-p-please!!"

"Hinata! What were you thinking?! You're--"

"I know, I know! I'm...married..."

"No, you idiot! I was gonna say you're _sixteen_!!"

She blinked. "You're not...disappointed in me for...you know...ch-cheating?"

He stared at her blankly. "Cheating? On who, Sasuke? Hinata, I _knew _you didn't want to marry him. Did you honestly think you'd fooled me?"

She blushed. Actually, yeah, she had.

"I want you to be happy...but not like that!" He lowered his voice considerably. "What are you going to do?"

"I...I'm g-going to tell them...I want to marry...I-Itachi..."

There was nothing but concern in his eyes. "...I can't back you up this time, Hinata. If you want this you need to do it alone."

She shook her head, glancing over at Itachi who was currently trying not to snap and kill her little sister. "No...I'm not alone..."

Itachi happened to look at her staring at him, causing her to smile and him to smirk. Neji watched their exchange, and with that much proof he had no objections. Well, almost no objections...they still had to talk about those hickeys...

Sasuke came forward with no warning, stepping between Neji and Hinata. She was brought back to reality with a sharp tug. She had to tell him...she had to do it now...

"Are you okay?"

She almost broke into tears again. If only he didn't show any concern over her, this would be so easy...

"I'm f-fine...S-Sasuke, I..."

"I'm sorry."

She blinked. "H-Huh?"

"I couldn't protect you. I...can't marry you yet. I want to be able to protect you, Hinata. Just give me a little more time to get stronger."

God, he was so considerate. If only he'd snap at her so she'd have an actual reason to break his heart. If only... "S-S-Sasuke...Don't apologize...I-I'm s-sorry..."

He lifted a brow. "For what?"

She kneeled down, bowing so low that she could've kissed the ground. Her actions caused everyone to look in their direction. She could feel her cheeks burning, and the tears seeping through her eyes, but she had to...wanted to do this. If only she didn't have to do it to Sasuke.

"I...c-can't m-m-marry you...I-I-I'm s-s-s-so sorry..."

The silence weighed heavily on her conscious, and she found herself curiously looking up so she could see Sasuke expression.

She recognized it instantly. It was the same expression Itachi had worn when she'd said she wanted to marry Sasuke. Calloused and uninviting, hurt and angered, sorrowful and vengeful. There was no one word to describe how it cut through her. Just what she felt in reaction to it.

Pain.

"Tch. Whatever."

He turned and walked toward the house, leaving Hinata kneeling on the floor feeling like crap. She lowered her head, tears hitting the ground. A hand on her shoulder startled her, making her jump in surprise. She looked up into Itachi's obsidian eyes, and for a moment she imagined _that _look...it cut her to pieces...but her imagination didn't last and she saw the concern that was actually there.

Sure, she had to look pretty deep to see it, but she saw it.

"Unacceptable."

She cringed, knowing the voice and the verbal put-down that was to come.

"Simply unacceptable. I don't recall giving you the order to recount your engagement."

She stood, her bangs covering her eyes as she did so. She took a deep breath, giving Itachi a small smile without anyone noticing before facing her father with the same smile.

"No, father...it's a decision I made. On my own."

Though he showed nothing, he was actually surprised that Hinata had recited an entire sentence without her usual restraint. Not to mention she was actually smiling at him. She'd never gotten up the nerve to do that.

But it didn't matter. She'd gone against his wishes, and he simply could not have that.

"No. You are to marry Sasuke, and that is that."

"I apologize father, but...I can't do that."

He was getting frustrated, they could all see that. "You _will _do that, simply because I said so. You were born for no other reason than to marry an Uchiha."

Her smile faltered and eventually fell at hearing that, but a determined stare came into its place. She'd never know how proud Itachi was of her for not breaking down...

"And I still will, father."

Hiashi fell silent. "...What do you mean? _Him_?"

Hinata, knowing he was referring to Itachi, nodded. "Yes."

"Disgraceful. What possible reason would he have for marrying you, other than maybe to bear an heir. Who knows if you are even capable of that."

She felt herself wanting to cry, but she wouldn't. That would lose her the battle. Itachi fought for her, now it was her turn. "He will marry me, because...he loves me. And I do him."

Itachi felt himself tense at her words...whoa, whoa, wait. Love? When had he said that? But as he looked into her eyes when she glanced back at him with another smile, he knew he _hadn't _said that.

She just knew.

His lips twitched at seeing her like this, so determined over...him. It made him, dare he say it, happy. And, oddly enough, it actually turned him on...

But that was a story for another day.

"You disgraceful child. How dare you talk back to me? You. Are. To. Marry. Sasuke. It was not discussable before, and it most certainly is not now."

"You are right, father. This is not something we should discuss. There are other ways to settle this."

Hiashi raised a brow. "Such as?"

She sighed, saddened that it had to come to this, but ready to do it to get her life back from him. "A match. Winner makes the decision."

The group fell into a shocked silence at Hinata's bold declaration.

Hiashi was the first to recover. "We already know that Hanabi is superior to you, no need to prove it once mo--"

"I was not speaking of Hanabi."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. Now she was interrupting him. And she just challenged him to a fight. All for this one boy...maybe she truly loved him. Maybe he should just stop being stubborn and let her have her happiness...

"Very well. Rest tonight, for tomorrow I will return for our match. And don't forget; you are to marry Sasuke next week."

Hiashi walked away, pausing only long enough beckon Hanabi and Neji to him. Hanabi glanced at her sister apologetically and glared at Itachi before running to meet her father. Neji patted his younger cousin's head affectionately, also glaring at Itachi over her head, before following after Hanabi.

The remaining stood and watched the Hyuga's retreating backs with silence.

Silence that was broken by Fugaku. "Hinata...are you okay?"

She didn't answer right away, staring at her father walk away. "...I think so. I...I just want to be happy, Uchiha-san."

He found himself smiling at her words. "That's your right."

She smiled, "No. It's my prize. All that's left now is the contest..."

The two elder Uchiha exchanged startled looks at her wisdom, but they morphed into smiles and they both went into the house, leaving Hinata and Itachi alone.

Hinata suddenly felt awkward and embarrassed, and she looked down to avoid his eyes. "I...I kn-know I s-said that y-y-you love m-m-m-me...b-but I w-w-was j-just...i-i-it w-was a b-b-better a-argument th-than m-most...th-that's all..."

He lifted a hand to touch her face. "Hn."

She unconsciously leaned into his touch. "I d-d-don't kn-know w-what I was th-thinking..."

He stroked her gently, taking a step closer to her while wrapping his free arm around her waist.

She didn't even notice as she leaned into his touch. But he did. "I-I'm s-sorry Itachi, I d-don't know--"

"Hinata, shut up."

She clamped her lips shut immediately, looking up at him in wide-eyed wonder. He almost smiled, but instead he planted his lips firmly on hers. She lifted her arms to wrap around his neck and brought his head lower while she tip-toed to deepen their kiss.

This was worth fighting her father for.

No...it was only worth _beating _her father for. And she would.

* * *

Shimi-chan: Yay! Is Itachi becoming...OOC? Do you think? Say it isn't so...But tell me the truth, I need to know. Cuz I kinda feel like he has...T-T I like that face...XD 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Shimi-chan: Last chapter! I'm done with this story!! Yay! I can't even describe how happy I am...This will be my first success, my first finished story, hell this was a lot of firsts for me...Thanks to all those who reviewed my story. I had some pretty cool people review me. I'm glad. I really appreciate all the feed-back I got on this story, and please look forward to more stories from me, very soon! Check out my profile for a little info on upcoming stories. I think the one I'll be posting next will probably be Owner of My Heart. It's a SasuHina

* * *

Chapter Nineteen:

Struggles over life were always hard as they come. Life goes on and previous struggles seem petty and idiotic...looking back, Hinata couldn't help but laugh at herself for some of the things that used to occupy her mind. How she used to worry about if Naruto liked her or not...how she used to worry about if she were pretty or not...how she used to worry about how weak she was...

Her biggest frustration had always been not being able to defeat Hanabi and claim the title as heiress. Now she was going to fight her father for the right to renounce it in favor of marrying Itachi.

How ironic was life going to get?

Sasuke had left the house the night before and gone to spend the night at Naruto's. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell why, and Hinata felt the blow he'd meant to deal. On any other circumstances she would've apologized until she was forgiven, but she didn't think that she was on his list of favorite people right now; she really felt horribly but it had to be done. She was through bending over backwards to please people. And she had no one but Itachi to thank for that.

The night before her battle with her father was a restless one, and she doubted she even slept at all before Itachi came into the room to wake her, telling her to prepare. She nodded wearily, slowly getting out of bed to do as he'd said.

Noticing the bags under her eyes, he stopped her before she could pass through the door. "Why are you worried? That bastard doesn't look like he could even beat your little sister."

She smiled. "That 'b-bastard' is me f-father."

His eyes narrowed. "If you didn't have those white eyes I'd never be able to tell."

Her smile saddened. "I...I know..."

"Stop that. You can't let your confidence slip or your guard down. Your _father," _he spit the word out with distain, "Isn't going to go easy on you."

Sighing, she lowered her head only to raise it with new determination in her eyes. "O-okay..."

He found himself smirking and patting her head. "Good girl."

She took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his waist shyly and pressing her cheek against his chest, "I'm n-not a dog..."

His smirk widened, "I know."

She turned her head upward so she could look into his eyes. "Itachi...n-no matter wh-what happens today, I--"

"Stop. You're going to win today. That's what's gonna happen."

She giggled, causing his lips to twitch without her notice. "O-okay, but still I w-want you to know...th-that I...um..."

"Tell me or don't, Hinata."

"I love you!" she blurted before she buried her head back into his chest to hide her blushing face. Itachi tensed at her small confession, stunned into silence. Though she'd already said as much the day before, it was still new to hear. And **the **Itachi Uchiha, master of words, found himself not knowing what to say in response.

Hinata's arms tightened unconsciously at his lack of reaction, her blush turning from embarrassment to shame. "I...I-Itachi, I d-didn't..."

He grabbed her chin and lifted her face. She looked worried, embarrassed, and oh-so-tempting...

"You already said that yesterday."

She blushed harder, averting her eyes and unconsciously gripping his shirt tighter. "I kn-kn-know, I'm s-sorr--"

He cut her off with a kiss.

He pulled back almost as soon as he'd brushed her lips, wearing an uncharacteristic smile. "Me too."

And with those cryptic words he turned and walked away. It was her turn to be stunned, but slowly her blush resided and a smile grew onto her face. Ok, so it wasn't awe-inspiring...it most definitely wasn't something Naruto would've said. But it was undoubtedly Itachi...and undoubtedly why she loved him.

And it was _definitely _why she was going to _win _today's fight.

--

The three Hyuga arrived early in the afternoon, around 1:00 PM, giving Hiashi an unknown advantage. He was well aware of Hinata's sensitivity to the sun, so coming when the sun's heat was best was definitely part of his strategy. And he was not foolish enough to let himself think that this was going to be easy. Overestimating your opponent was always safer than underestimating them. And Hinata had a lot of things going for her, the biggest of which being that she was trained by an Uchiha, their prodigy no less. And she was in love...that factor he refused to count. He knew best, after all he was _still _her father.

She was waiting for him out in the field when he arrived. Sporting only a black tank top and the Capri pants she usually wore, she'd seen through his plot and dressed lightly. And they both knew that her sweater was the reason she was sensitive to the heat...

_'She thought ahead,' _he thought with a scowl, _'Indeed she has improved.' _

"Father," she said when he was within hearing distance, "I would prefer if we didn't waste time."

Yes! Haha, she'd been practicing that sentence without stuttering all day and she thanked God that she'd gotten it down. Hiashi nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Name the circumstances."

Fugaku stepped forward from the sidelines as the self-declared referee, "This will be a battle of speed. First one to land a hit wins," he looked pointedly at Hinata, "No holding back."

Smiling tensely, she nodded.

Hiashi nodded as well.

And they both got into their stances, signaling the beginning of the battle. Fugaku made his way back to the sidelines where Itachi, Neji, Hanabi, and Mikoto all watched on attentively.

"You have one last chance, Hinata. Marry Sasuke as I have commanded and stop shaming your role as my eldest."

"Please don't try to convince me, father. I'm not changing my mind."

His eyes narrowed. "So be it."

He was the first to move, running with such speed that the sidelines thought it was over already. But she quickly ducked his punch, thrusting her palm into his stomach, which only dissipated into smoke. Her body jumped left when she felt his presence behind her, effectively dodging his attempted blow. He quickly followed up with a kick aimed at her stomach, but it burst into smoke too. He fell into his defense stance, which came in handy when she suddenly appeared in front of him and started attacking, restlessly throwing punches and kicks, which were all blocked harshly by the elder Hyuga. Hinata kicked off Hiashi, springing a little ways away from him to plan out her next move.

It was obvious that she wasn't going to hit him like this, he was too fast. She needed an idea, some kind of edge over him. There had to be something that Itachi taught her that she could use right now...something that would shock Hiashi; she wanted him to wonder if she was the same girl.

_'Pay attention, Hinata, this is important.'_

_Hinata nodded obediently, staring at Itachi with interest._

_He disappeared before her eyes only to reappear behind her, causing her to jump, startled. _

_'Learn to sense when someone is coming no matter what.'_

Hinata continued to evade her father's attacks, every single one getting closer. She had to think of something quickly, so she delved back into her memory...

_'H-how, Itanii-san?'_

_He smirked, 'By ignoring your opponent.'_

_She blinked, genuinely confused, 'H-huh?'_

She knew that if she ignored her father now, he'd get her. And that's all he needed, one hit, and she would lose and have to marry Sasuke. She couldn't let that happen; not when she knew that she loved Itachi. He fought for her, though in a strange way, now she had to...she had to beat her father.

_'Make sure you remember this, Hinata.'_

_Again, she nodded, a little more eagerly this time._

_'If you concentrate on your surroundings, the moment something penetrates you'll know it.'_

_Her silence urged him to continue._

_He ran a hand through his hair, showing his annoyance at her not getting it, 'An example. If I concentrate on the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, the moment a closer sound penetrates it, I'll know where it's coming from.'_

Hinata lashed out, missing by a millimeter, but she didn't delve into that. She had to dodge quickly before Hiashi caught up to her. She couldn't let it happen; she had to do something.

_'I...I th-think I understand.'_

_He smirked, 'Good. Just make sure you time it correctly. If you don't, sensing an opponent won't matter because they'll be too close already.'_

_She nodded._

She'd been dodging for several minutes, throwing her own punches whenever she saw openings, but never actually connecting. Her body was growing weary, while her father looked as energized as ever. She forced him out of her mind; she had to concentrate, stay confident! And it wasn't too hard now that she had a plan.

But what noise should she listen to?

_'Also, remember that it has to be a noise from all directions. If you concentrate on something only on your right and your opponent attacks on your left, you're dead.'_

Hinata found herself straining to find the perfect block-out while still evading her father's attacks. He was relentless, and taking her mind off him for even a moment was becoming impossible. She had to find something--

_--and fast. Itachi was getting quicker, and she knew that he was going to attack her at any instant. He seemed to be giving her some time so she could find that perfect noise--_

--but she didn't know what to pay attention to. There was no universal sound, and her father was attacking from all directions--

_--making this lesson an impossible one. But Itachi would never teach her something he didn't think she could learn, and she really wanted to get this on the first day to make him proud. And then, suddenly, it occurred to her; this was the Uchiha compound!--_

--Unlike the Hyuga compound, which was two mansions (one for the branch, the other for the main house), the Uchiha compound was surrounded by life! Surrounded by--

_--chakra. Any average person wouldn't be able to detect life, but she had a special gift! She had the Byakyugan--_

--She whispered softly, activating her blood limit. She sensed it, the chakra outside her own, outside her father's--

_--outside Itachi. Concentrating on that and only that, she saw the different flowing chakra before she sensed a disruption directly behind her. Transferring all her chakra onto her elbow, she brought it back hard--_

_--_against her father's chest, sending her opponent propelling backward. Okay, so it wasn't using sound, but the basic lesson was learned. She deactivated her Byakyugan, swiftly turning around and racing to her father's side, worry etched onto her face.

Once she'd gotten to him she kneeled, shaking him in panic. "F-father!" tears formed in her eyes when he didn't respond. "Father, I-I'm s-s-s-sorry!"

His eyes opened slowly. "H-Haruki?"

Hinata's eyes widened. _'Haruki?' _She recognized the name as her mother's. Torment squeezed at her heart, causing her tears to triple. "N-N-No...I'm s-s-sorry, it's o-only m-m-me, F-father..."

Hiashi sighed, rubbing his temples. "I apologize...clearly I underestimated you, even though I'd tried not to."

Hinata wasn't sure if she should feel proud or mortified.

"The rules were stated. You may marry Itachi."

Joy overwhelmed her, and before she knew what she was doing she found herself latching her arms around her father's neck. "Th-thank you, father! I love you!"

She pulled back the instant the words left her mouth, blushing in shame. "I m-m-mean...f-father, I kn-know th-that y-y-you don't...H-Hanabi-chan c-c-can b-be th-the heiress n-now..."

Hiashi remained stoic as ever, but his voice sounded a bit remorseful. "Hinata..."

Suddenly Hinata was yanked upward, and when she looked up she saw Itachi's obsidian eyes glaring at her father.

"Too late," he seethed, "You waited too long. You don't get to be her father anymore. She's mine now."

Hinata blushed, but before she could protest Itachi dragged her off...and in truth, a dark part of her wanted him to suffer. Why should she just forgive him? He'd never given her the time of day, except to tell her that she was a disgrace...

The couple didn't get very far before they were approached by the rest of the group. Hanabi, with her usual exuberance, hugged Hinata's waist.

"You did it! You won, Onee-chan!"

Neji came over too, smirking at her proudly. "I knew you could, Hinata-chan."

She smiled, for once in her life crying in joy. She wiped her eyes, giggling a bit. "Th-thank you both..."

"Now," Hanabi added, glaring at Itachi, "You're _sure _this time? You wanna marry _him, _right?"

Itachi glared back at her and Hinata felt his hand tighten over hers, causing her to giggle again. "I'm sure, Hanabi-chan."

The answer seemed to satisfy the younger Hyuga, and once Hiashi felt better they all started on their way back home. Hinata walked up to her father, looked him straight in the eye, saying "I'll be marrying Itachi next week, father."

He looked tired, though not physically, and for once in their relashionship Hinata was the one keeping her face devoid of emotion. With a sigh, he regained his composure and nodded proudly before walking off, not looking back even once.

But with Itachi beside her and her new family a few steps behind, she didn't care. For once, life was perfect, and nothing was getting in the way again.

Smiling, she grabbed Itachi's hand and turned her back on her father as well; shutting him out of her life until the day he apologized truly. And if that day never came, she'd be just as well...because she had happiness and love.

Really, what else did she need?

* * *

Shimi-chan: This ending is kinda corny...and oddly enough I find myself not caring. Maybe I'm too sleepy. Fear not, readers, there shall also be an epilogue, kay? It's not over yet. - 


	21. Epilogue

**Shimi-chan:** Hmm...I was thinking that twenty chapters was okay for this story, but I forgot...I had a prologue, so chapter twenty was the last chapter. This is twenty-one, technically. Oh well. This time, I really am done. :) Celebration time! Thank you to everyone…enjoy this last installment. There may or may not be a sequel…right now, with all the stories I have, I'm leaning toward…not. -.-'

I guess, since this is the end, I can fill you all in on a few secrets. Secret number one: This was never supposed to be funny. It wasn't exactly supposed to be anything else either, and I'm really happy that it turned out to be funny. I just wrote whatever came to mind and it turned out that way. Another thing, Sakura and Hiashi both were never meant to be such asses. It just…fit the story. Secret number three, Ino wasn't supposed to play such an important part. It just happened. Secret number four, I never actually thought I was going to finish this once I got to chapter seventeen. The lemon, well, I couldn't write it…and I temporarily gave up on this story altogether, concentrating on others.

And that's it. I hope you all enjoy this last chapter!

* * *

Epilogue: 

Hinata grinned widely at her reflection, heart thudding rapidly against her chest in anticipation. Not that she cared. She stood in the same white gown she had before, only this time she was in her room in the Uchiha house. Hinata always had preferred a quiet wedding, and this time around she was going to get it.

The only guests on her side were the elders from the Hyuga clan, Neji, and Hanabi. Her father had come as well, though only to walk her down the aisle. She could've always had Fugaku do it for her...but how would that look? 'Unacceptable,' as her father would say.

She found herself smiling at the thought.

Right now, Ino and Sakura were both doing the final touch-ups on her make-up and dress. Both were telling her how beautiful she looked and how lucky she was.

She had to agree on both points.

"Gosh, Hinata, you're _so _lucky. I'm jealous."

Hinata beamed at Ino, "Th-thank you!"

Sakura smiled too, _'She's so...happy...'_

"Th-thank you for coming too, Sakura-chan…and for getting Naruto-kun to be the best man…"

She scoffed playfully, "It was no big, he was happy to do it. He didn't mind walking down the aisle with Ino again…and I'm sure Ino didn't either," she added suggestively.

Ino blushed indignantly, "Hey, this is Hinata-chan's wedding! I don't _mind _but I don't love it either, so shut it forehead!"

"What?! Getting defensive, are we Ino-pig?!"

Ino seemed about to reply with another insult, but Hinata sighed loudly, causing them both to look at her and mutter insincere apologies to each other before continuing their work.

Once they were done with Hinata's make-up, Sakura and Ino both left to get themselves ready, wishing Hinata luck on this one. Once they were gone, Hinata inspected herself in the mirror...

She'd asked for less make-up this time, though the dress and hair were the same as her wedding with Sasuke. One thing was different, though. This time she found herself smiling in awe at her reflection. She truly felt as beautiful as everyone was saying she was. Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away before they ruined her make-up. Today was her _real _wedding day.

When she heard the door open again, she sighed loudly, "Hanabi-chan, I told you I was sorry, but you have to wear—"

Once she'd turned to the door, she found that it was her father and not her sister entering the room. A quick blush rose to her cheeks, "S-sorry, father, I th-thought it w-w-was Hanabi-chan…"

He only nodded. "The ceremony is getting ready to begin. They sent me here to get you."

She nodded nervously, "O-Okay…"

Then she heard something that surprised her. He sighed. Not quietly, as would be expected of a Hyuga, but loudly and stretched out, without any restraint. She blinked, staring at him for a moment before regaining her composure and quickly looking away.

"Hinata. I'm sorry."

Okay, that surprised her even more than the sigh. She had no clue how to respond. Especially since, usually, _she _was the one apologizing. She just stood there, mouth opening and closing, fidgeting nervously in place.

"U-um…okay…O-oh! Th-that sounded so r-rude! S-s-sorry, I m-meant, i-it's o-ok…I m-mean, not th-that y-you really _did _anything…w-wait, I'm n-not calling y-you a liar…Oh, I m-mean—"

"Hinata," he said, actually trying to hold back a smile, "I'm trying to apologize."

She blushed. "Oh…um, I-I'm sorry too…"

"No. You did nothing. I…haven't been a good father to you."

She shook her head vehemently, "No, th-that's not true—"

"Yes it is. I should've just wanted you to be happy."

The tears almost made it past her lids, but before she could brush them away her father did. The action only caused more to develop, but she managed to keep them at bay. She didn't want her father to think she was weak, especially not now that he was actually apologizing.

"I'm s-sorry I couldn't m-marry Sasuke l-l-like you told me t-to…"

"It's fine. You're still marrying an Uchiha."

The words stung more than they were supposed to, but she managed a strained smile. "Y-yes, like I was b-born to."

Silence.

"Back at the chapel of the first wedding," Hiashi began, looking mildly uncomfortable, "I was trying to tell you that you looked beautiful."

She blushed as she remembered that he'd been trying to voice something but kept pausing only to say something completely different in the end. "O-oh…Th-thank you…"

"You look just like your mother, Hinata."

Another blush, but she couldn't help the smile that spread slowly across her face. She looked up at her father, eyes shining, "R-really? Do I?"

He nodded, finding her smile contagious. "Exactly like her."

There was another silence, but it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as all the other ones.

Hiashi cleared his throat, "The wedding."

Hinata blushed, scrambling into action, "Oh, r-right…!"

They both stepped out of the small room and went into the living room, where they waited to be called upon for the wedding. It was about to begin, the end of her life as a Hyuga and beginning as an Uchiha.

And, yes, this time I'm serious.

--

Itachi stood at the front of the whole crowd, quickly growing irritated with their stares and whispers. Is this how Sasuke felt? He pitied that poor fool…Itachi almost wanted to break someone's finger with the way they were all pointing and making unnecessary comments. What, did these people think it was _their _wedding or something? Though, from what little he'd seen of Sasuke's wedding (he hadn't really been paying attention to surroundings at the time) this was definitely more casual. The tux he'd been forced to wear wasn't name brand, but it was comfortable. Or at least as comfortable as a tux could be.

The scenery was more serene as well. He hated to admit it, but he actually liked the colorful decor. It was all flowers, of every shape, size, and color, surrounding the white fold-out chairs. And it was thanks to Hinata's gardening, something she'd done in her spare time while living here. And the crowd, though still annoying, was much smaller than the one at Sasuke's wedding. It was only people well acquainted with the bride or groom…so it was all Hinata's friends.

So, let's recap. Better tux, better crowd, better surroundings…yup, Itachi's wedding beat Sasuke's by a long shot. And that was what kept Itachi from snapping that pointing lady's index finger into a million pieces.

Finally, once Itachi was starting to think the scowl on his face was going to be permanently etched there, the doors opened and the pianist began playing, signaling the start of his wedding.

He had no interest in the first few people to exit the house. If he'd had his way, Hinata would already be up here with him and they'd already be married. Hell, if he'd _really _had his way, they'd just sign the stupid paper. And he's suggested it. But then she'd started tearing up, talking about 'he didn't want to marry her.' Wasn't he the one that crashed her first wedding for her? But _no _she needed the ceremony as proof of his love…

Pff, whatever.

Once everyone was in place, the pianist started to play the wedding march (again) and Hinata stepped out with her arm attached to her father's (again) and she looked stunning (again). Though he'd seen her like this before, he still couldn't get enough. And, the best part, tonight he'd get to repeat his kidnapping act…except this time, they never had to stop…

Dammit, had she always walked so slowly?

Meanwhile, she couldn't seem to stop smiling. This was it, she was getting married (yes, for real). Itachi was staring at her, as was everyone else, and this time she found that she could handle it. Ino and Sakura were both whispering hotly at each other at the front, making Hinata stifle a giggle. Tenten was smiling at her while exchanging look with Neji. He was disapproving of this, she knew, but he'd also come to accept it, which caused an odd cross of happiness and regret to appear on his face. Another giggle that she had to swallow. Naruto looked extremely uncomfortable to have to stand next to Itachi. And, really, who could blame him? Not only did they not know each other at all, but Itachi had stolen his best friends woman. Kiba was grinning wolfishly, this time being allowed to show up with Akamaru, who shared a similar look. Shino just gave a curt nod when her eyes fell upon him, but she still smiled, knowing he was happy for her. And that his bugs were having fun polinating her flowers. The only people she didn't look at were the elders, for she already knew how they were all reacting to this.

They finally made it to the front where Itachi was, and the priest finished his small speech after what seemed like hours to both the bride and groom to be. This time the word 'love' did not intimidate Hinata, instead it made her smile grow.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

There was a pause.

Hinata looked up at her father, who was switching between looking at her and Itachi. He seemed…unsure, which was truly a new thing to Hinata. It occurred to her that maybe he wasn't being cruel by not allowing her to marry Itachi. Maybe, just maybe, he really thought Sasuke was better for her.

She nudged his arm gently and gave him a reassuring smile. He managed a small one back, "I do."

Before he could walk away, Hinata gathered all her courage and hugged his waist tightly. He seemed surprised at first, but he slowly lowered his arms to pat her back a few times awkwardly. She actually smiled at this, and pulled away to save him further embarrassment.

"Thank you, father."

He nodded, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips before he walked back down the aisle and she had to entwine her arm with Itachi's instead. He looked peeved at her actions with her father, but thankfully said nothing.

The pledge began, and Hinata listened intently while Itachi glanced around, wondering when this was going to be over. He felt they were wasting time with words when both of them had already showed that they were willing to be married. The priest was in the middle of the charge when the doors opened again, and this time it was Sasuke that stood at their opening.

The entire ceremony came to a halt at his unscheduled appearance, but he ignored everyone's blatant stares, instead only staring indifferently at HInata and Itachi. Hinata felt Itachi tense beside her and place an arm around her waist, pulling her against him as if for safety. Sasuke made no reply to his brother's obvious disdain of him, and took a step forward.

Itachi's arm tightened, as if it were possible, and he prepared himself to jump clear if need be.

But Sasuke quickly turned at a row, sitting himself down in the nearest empty chair.

The tension multiplied as his actions, and then gradually died at the lack thereof. Sasuke just sat there, still looking at the front and ignoring the eyes on him, before finally snorting in annoyance.

"Well? I sure as hell didn't come here for _this._"

Instantly, all eyes went back up to Itachi and Hinata, except for Hinata herself. Her eyes stayed trained on Sasuke, and she saw a small, broken smile form on his lips. He forgave her, and that's what his coming here was clearly showing.

When she turned her attention back to the prist, he was in the middle of her vows, and she found that she'd missed Itachi saying 'I do.' Not that it mattered, she knew he'd said it. Between her father apologizing, marrying Itachi, and Sasuke's forgiveness, Hinata wasn't sure she'd ever find another reason to cry again. But that was just fine with her.

Because, yes, blood _was_ thicker than water, and yes, water _did_ taste better. But in the end, you still needed both to survive.

* * *

**Shimi-chan**: Yessss. Finally. Done. Sequel? I still don't know yet. This was kinda short though...I hope it's enough. Oh well...Thank you for reading! 


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